Black Candlelight
by Spazzfreeks
Summary: Amu's sister Dia died. She wishes for her to come back to life. Little does Amu know that she could achieve that wish. With the price of others’ lives that is. Amuto and pretty bloody. temporarily inactive
1. A Haunting

**Author's Note: First of all happy holidays! Because you have been such good girls and boys (sorry if you are offended by this because of your religion or you don't like religions [IDK I just don't want to offend anyone]) anyway you have all been good readers this year so your present is two new amuto fanfic series!!!! YAY!!!! :D**

**Ok, I am working on the sequel to Amuto Island, just so you all know, and this was something I wrote when listening to a really emo song while trying to do math homework, DX math makes me emo. Anyway I'm publishing this now to show you all that I'm not being lazy! (Also please forgive me if I don't update a lot, I'm still working on chapter 2 plus I'm doing practically fifty other fanfics. But I really hope you like this one; I know I do. Oh yeah, and I MIGHT update once everyday like I did with Amuto Island so please stay tuned!! :D**

Preface: Black Candlelight

The darkness had always been a frightening place: ghosts and scary stories were locked away in a deep dark corner of my brain to never be seen again. I shied away from holidays like Halloween and I had slept with a nightlight until I was ten.

When I turned eleven something happened so strange that I tell it to you now. I am Amu Hinamori, and I had just transferred to Seiyo Elementary School. A lot of guys like me and all the girls wished they could be me. I was idolized, but being idolized is an ugly thing. So I dared to wish for something different. Something I claimed to be better.

Little did I know that I could achieve that wish. With the price of others' lives that is.

Chapter 1: A Haunting

The tears wouldn't stop flowing. I hid in my room like a coward. My heart had been ripped to millions of shreds. Not only had my older sister died in a car accident, but now we had moved too. I sobbed again. My day at school had been the worst of my life. I had only been there a week and already I hated it more than anything in the whole entire world.

Again, I made another sob. It had been a year exactly since Dia had died. I sobbed again. Dia had been a lot older than me, but she had been the greatest sister ever. I hadn't eaten or slept for weeks after I found out she was gone. I started shivering all over. The hole in my heart had not filled in the least, merely numbed.

But today the numbness had warn off almost completely. I had been on the edge of tears the entire day. Instead of being sad and mopey I allowed myself to be agitated. One poor girl had gotten in my way and I had sworn really bad at her, and then a teacher gave me more homework than I wanted and I had just stormed out of the classroom and in the hall I gave a hall monitor the finger.

"Why did she have to die? Why!? DIA! COME BACK TO LIFE!!! PLEASE!!! I CAN'T WIN WITHOUT YOU!!! W-w-what about your dream? What about MINE!" There was a crack of lightning outside. The power suddenly went out. I sat in the darkness, buried under pillows.

I woke up strewn across my bed. My face was stiff from the dried tears on my cheeks. I yawned and allowed tears to pool onto my pillow. Then I wiped my eyes and sat up. But when I sat up and saw my room I screamed bloody Mary.

Bloodstains were everywhere. It reminded me of an anime I had watched. Since when did my life rip off animes? I hid my face in my pillow. Then I looked up when I heard my mother open my door,

"Amu-chan are you okay? Oh, another nightmare?" Mama had been crying too. I could tell. I glanced around my room fearfully, but the blood was gone. I turned back to my mom and nodded shakily. Mama left.

I slowly got ready for school. Suddenly a vision flashed behind my eyes.

It was night. I could see stars in the sky, but there was no moon. There was a girl running. She was a fast runner, but the person chasing her was faster. The girl screamed. Then the vision faded away. I shook my head.

"Just a nightmare..." I muttered. I tried to convince myself I had only dreamed that, but I knew I had not had a dream that night.

As I walked downstairs I saw another vision of blood. I closed my eyes and shook my head furtively. _Stop this!_ I yelled at my brain. But my mind was not cooperative. In the back of my head I heard another scream.

By the time I finished breakfast I'd heard the scream nine more times and seen blood four more times. I was really shaky and I could feel how the blood had drained from my face. I shook my head again and ran out the door.

I took a short cut to school through an alley. While I walked I suddenly saw the vision of the girl again.

She ran, the chaser almost caught her, she ran fast, and then she screamed. But the apparition didn't stop there. I also saw what looked like falling. There were bright moving lights below. Was this girl falling off a building?

By school I was really super freaked out. It was just before lunch when I saw the end of the mental picture.

The lights got closer and closer until I could make out the people in the dark metal monsters. Then the classroom was filled with blood. Everyone else became demonic shadows. I could feel the blood on my hands too. I couldn't stop my tears as I saw the blood on my hand. I screamed and ran out of the classroom.

I didn't need to be a genius to understand what the blood meant. That girl had died, and whether this was real or not it was still a horrific scene that I could not handle. I hid behind a crop of trees and cried. I was still seeing blood: the awful, awful blood. I could smell it, I could feel it, and I could see it. It was horrible.

"Why!? Why!? Why!?" I screamed.

"The world needed its balance, that's why." a voice whispered. I shuddered, more tears escaped. I suddenly saw the girl lying in the middle of a street. Some of her limbs had been torn off and her entire body seemed to be broken. She was drowning in a pool of her own blood. At this sight I sobbed mutely.

"Pretty grim isn't it?" I looked up. The girl was standing in front of me, kind of. I could see through her, partially, to the tree behind her. I looked at the girl's ghostly white eyes and screamed. The girl had pink hair and wore a tennis outfit. She shook her head sadly,

"Death is never fun... I take it... that you don't like ghosts." She floated in the air with her legs crossed and her hands gripping her knees. She didn't look any older than me. I sobbed silently again.

"Who are you?" I demanded, "Why are you haunting me?"

"My name is Ran. I was told to haunt you so I have to."

"Who told you to haunt me?" I question frightfully.

"The Embryo."

**Author's Note: What did you think? A little bit of darkness right? I hope you liked it and please tell me what you think. This story is still going through the editing process, just warning you. It is Amuto, and I know what you're thinking "Okay, wait, if everyone's dead and/or a ghost, DOES THAT MEAN IKUTO'S A GHOST!!!! *Dies *" no don't worry, Ikuto is not dead.**


	2. A Shocking Revelation

**Author's Note: PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!**

Chapter 2: A Shocking Revelation

The nightmares had been continuous. They were the worst nightmares I'd ever faced in my life. I'd never felt more emo before Ran. Ran, that ghost who had been assigned to haunt me. It was my price: my price for my wish.

I kept telling myself it was worth it, but a seed of doubt was heavy in my heart. The hallucinations of blood would not stop. I had also started hearing metallic screeches that scarred me mentally. Sometimes I would hear footsteps when no one was around, or other times I would feel a sudden breeze that froze my blood and made goose bumps rise on my skin.

Insanity was the only way to describe this time of my life. I hardly ate anything and I feared sleep, yet longed so much to leave this world behind. I might of tried suicide if it had crossed my mind. Believe it or not, all this happened within only four days of meeting Ran.

My nightmares were the darkest places in the world. They were scarier than anything, because they were nothing. I was always just there. There was never anything or anyone. No sounds could be heard; no sights could be seen. I could not speak or feel. They were truly the greatest fears of my life. In those nightmares I was completely alone.

I was walking to homeroom when it happened. The second vision. There was blood, but only a little. Mostly it was fiery, stinging pain that lashed out at me. My entire body shook with horror and shock. Tears welled in my eyes. I ran away. People stared, but that didn't concern me. I could vaguely hear the tone of Ran's voice. Ran might have been a ghost meant to haunt me, but she was still a nice person, dead or alive.

"Amu! Amu!" I knew she was saying, but I kept running. I tripped on my way out a door and landed on my back on the wet grass. There was a thundering bang that resounded through my head over and over. It had been a cracking sound like fireworks, only too abrupt and painful, and so much louder.

I could almost feel the tears pouring out of my eyes, but then the headache started. It wasn't dull and cloudy like other headaches. Other headaches caused a kind of dulling of all the senses, and many times would pulse, but this pain was the opposite. It was so sharp that all my senses increased ten fold.

I was sure I would have been able to see with clarity never before imagined if I had been able to open my eyes. I would have been able to hear a thousand miles away if that boom wasn't still resounding within my skull.

I grabbed my head and doubled up on my side. I would have done anything to make the pain leave, it was worse than how I'd imagined death, and then I realized this _was_ death. Like with Ran, I was seeing the death of another.

I focused myself, best I could, on the vision playing behind my eyelids. There was a dark figure. It was more like a shadow than a person, but it couldn't have been a shadow because it was colored dark red, like dried blood. In the figure's hand was a gun. It was sleek and shiny and smoke was coming from the end. It had recently been shot.

There was another figure in front of the shadow with the gun. This figure was colored blue like the sky. Its knees buckled and it fell backward.

That's when I saw the blue figure in full. She was a girl a few years older than me. Much else wasn't recognizable because of the pools of blood around her. In her head was a huge hole. It was spewing blood like volcano spews lava or a garden hose spews water.

I opened my eyes with a gasp as the pain unexpectedly left. I looked up. Ran was standing back shyly, as if fearing punishment. I looked to the right and there was a new ghost. She was, as I had figured, the girl who had been shot. She was tall and beautiful, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old. She had blue hair and blue eyes and, like Ran, was mostly see through.

She was glaring daggers at me. I jerked with terror and jumped up. I looked into the eyes of that blue haired girl and turned to run. I ran all they way to my home. Of course, the ghosts followed me, but they had said nothing to me while I was running, so it was okay. I enjoyed running because when I ran I became less aware of the hallucinations and the evil demons ghosting my every footstep.

I opened my front door – it was empty, of course, because my parents were at work and Ami was at preschool – I sprinted to my room and shut the door behind me. I gradually caught my breath. I was really tired. I dropped to me knees and scoped my room.

There was a pile of pillows and stuffed animals in the corner. I ignored the bloody vision flickering into my mind every time I blinked. My desk was covered in candles and my floor was littered in clothes, homework, and magazines.

Ran and the new ghost soon floated through my wall. The blue haired ghosted looked like she was about to do to me what had happened to her. Talk about vengeful spirits.

"Miki-chan, maybe you could calm down a little... You're scaring Amu-chan..." Ran had finally built up the guts to speak.

"CALM DOWN!? Ran, how the fuck can I calm when this person is the reason I'm dead."

"W-what!?" I quivered with shock and fear.

"The reason I was murdered was because you made that stupid wish!"

"How is that possible? I'm- I'm sorry you were murdered, but, but that's not because of me!"

"You're such a fool! You can't wish for someone to come back to life without there being consequences! Apparently your sister's life is worth three lives of innocent bystanders!"

"...I didn't know... how... HOW COULD I HAVE KNOWN THAT MY WISH WOULD BE GRANTED... My wish... granted..." in the back of my mind I had of course realized Dia was going to live again, but now there was an inexplicable clarity in that truth. Being the crybaby I am, tear dripped down my cheeks. I was horrified at myself, but I was overjoyed at the same time. Dia was going to be alive again. I imagined seeing Dia's face.

Unfortunately, the important questions did not cross my mind until it was much too late.

Three days later a new ghost appeared. Her arrival was so much quicker and less painless than the other two. The visions of blood steadied to a constant rate and the only times I saw flashes of murders and bloody corpses were when Miki felt spiteful. The other ghost, though, still had had a gory death.

I hadn't been scared the first time I saw the vision, but that was mostly because it didn't look like the others, and I wasn't aware of what was happening. The first day I felt really hot all the time. The second day I continued to feel hot but also I saw flashes of what looked like ashes. On the third day I saw the entire thing in my head and it scared me half to death.

There was a really cute girl, she had a waitress uniform on and blonde pigtails. She was cooking happily, her green eyes wide with excitement. Suddenly something went wrong. There was pain and a little a blood and then the vision went black for a split second before I saw the girl engulfed in massive flames. The restaurant she'd been in was coming to pieces. She couldn't move. A beam that had fallen trapped her foot. Then a flaming block of wood fell, and that was the end of the girl and the vision.

That girl's name, it turned out to be Suu. I had been so sorry when I met her. She was the sweetest girl in the world, kind and a bit motherly; if Miki had been telling the truth then I was truly regretful. I didn't want to be the cause of any of their deaths, especially Suu and Ran because they were so so nice to me. I couldn't bare this revelation. It just hurt too much to think about.

**Author's Note: Did you like the second chapter? YES I'M WORKING ON THE SEQUEL OF AMUTO ISLAND TOO!!! DON'T WORRY!!!!!! XD please please please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	3. A Guardian of Ghosts

Chapter 3: A Guardian of Ghosts

It'd been weeks since Suu came. I was relieved. I didn't seem I'd be receiving any more ghosts who'd be haunting me. Though that was the case, my adventure was still not done.

I was walking aimlessly – emo as ever. There was no point in life. I'd waited hopefully for almost a month for my sister to come back home, but she remained dead. There was nothing on the news about a zombie girl or anything. I was starting to feel like God, or the Embryo, or the Devil or whatever thing had answered my prayer was not going fulfill his side of the bargain.

I allowed my ghosts to haunt me to no end. Every night I woke up screaming my head off because of fucked up dreams. Every day people dared not look into my soulless eyes. My parents were afraid of me. They didn't let Ami near me. If I had any chance of having friends before, it was completely gone.

At least, that's what I had thought.

As I walked with nowhere to go and nothing to do Ran suddenly yelp with surprise.

"What?" I questioned.

"Ghosts. I sense the presence of tons and tons of ghosts."

"I do too, desu." Suu murmured.

"Yeah. This way, follow me!" Miki shouted at she flew through trees.

I followed my three ghosts. Eventually we came upon an old glass building. Some of the windows were shattered and it had the smell of dust and old things. _Fitting._ I thought to myself.

Ran, Miki, and Suu flew into the huge building. I ran after them. The place was magnificent, though layered with dust, spiders, and other things that signified abandonment. It looked like it had once either been a library or a greenhouse.

I walked through the broken library/greenhouse. Books were strewn across the floor and plant life had grown out of control. There was a small stream of water leading from somewhere, but I didn't care enough to pinpoint the location.

"What the hell?" a voice said from behind me. I turned around. A short boy with a kingly stature and prince-like blonde hair was leaning against a bookshelf.

"I think I should be the one saying that, bastard." I said to the kid. Heaven knows where I picked up my vocabulary.

"You're the trespasser here, scum-bag." he spat back at me.

"Tadase-kun, be nice." a boy appeared from behind another bookshelf. His voice was a bit high and he somehow had a girliness to him that I didn't like. The boy had a secret. In fact both boys had secrets, and I was going to find out what they were.

"Are you guys ok?" A small girl with light brown pigtails asked. There was an eerie howl of wind and the girl jumped back. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Yaya, are you ok? Don't worry. Don't worry. It's fine. It's fine." A tall brown haired boy with green eyes whispered as the girl named Yaya hid her face in his chest.

"She's mortified of all supernatural things."

"Then she should never have joined!" the boy named Tadase yelled.

"YOU KNOW HER REASON'S FOR JOINING! JUST LIKE WE ALL KNOW YOUR REASON FOR CREATING THIS PLACE!" the boy with long purple hair screamed. Much better. His girliness from before was suddenly completely gone. Was this guy schizophrenic or something?

"Are you going to join, too." the small girl sniffed.

"Eh?"

"You have ghosts too." she said simply. I noticed for the first time the girl's eyes were different. It looked like... ...she was blind.

"How would you?"

"I can sense them. I'm blind because of this sixth sense. To keep the sense under control I had to give up on of my other senses. This way the balance in the universe holds together.

"Is that why you... err... 'joined'" _What is this place. Is it a club?_

"No. I had a different reason." The blind girl named Yaya walked away. The boy with green eyes held out his hand to me.

"I'm Kukai! Nice to meet 'cha! That was my cousin Yaya and these two are my friend Nagihiko and Tadase. We are the Guardians. More specifically the Guardians of the Supernatural." So they were a club.

"I'm Amu, and I suppose if that's the case then I'm interested in your operations." It was a snap decision, but I was so terminally depressed and bored all the time. I thought, vaguely that this might help.

We walked to a picnic table with an old and whither awning over it. The awning had a big hole in it, as did the ceiling. The sun shown through as if this place were a sacred clearing in a cursed forest: which, to me, it was becoming just that.

My ghosts followed behind me. I looked around me. At first glance there was nothing, but when I looked closer I saw at least twenty ghosts floating around the room.

The ones that caught my eyes were an old Samurai and his apprentice, a small girl who looked like she belonged to a noble family from Europe in the 1800's, a clown, a soccer player, and a small child. There were others though. There was a mechanic, a bride, a genie, a ballerina, a magician, a puppeteer, an astronaut, a snowboarder, an artist, a florist, a baker, and a flight attendant.

"Uh... what's with all the ghosts?"

"That's what the Guardians of the Supernatural do. We protect the lost and wander souls like ghosts. We also protect the secrets of those with powers or knowledge that isolate them from the rest of humanity. We are friends of the night, and allies of the creatures of a small child's nightmare. We are the Guardians of the Supernatural! We are the enemies of stereotypes and the patronizing media that will attack us if the secrets were to be revealed. We will protect because we all have equal rights in this life! We will protect because it is our duty!" The Samurai's apprentice chorused.

"Uh... did you rehearse that?"

"Yeah, what did you think? Insightful, I know, but maybe a little over the top? What do you think?"

"I think you're insane." I backed away from the weirdo ghost, but my skirt got caught on a twig, and I fell, passing right through the Noble girl. A spiky bush sliced a deep cut into my leg and a twig impaled my hand, but that was just fine compared to the chill that sent an icy shiver through my entire body. The Noble girl stared angrily, and indignantly at me.

"Sorry." I whispered. The girl stuck her nose in the air and glided away in a huff.

"Don't worry about Rima-hime she's a little stuck up, but once you get to know her she's hilarious!" Kukai-sama told me helping me up and handing me some bandaids.

The Guardians were an interesting bunch. As I walked home I was seriously considering joining them. They seemed more than willing to take me and they all had their own quarks, with the exception of Kukai who seemed completely normal in every way. Tadase was bent on world domination – at least that's what I gathered from his several speeches about becoming king of the world. Nagihiko was definitely schizophrenic, and it had already been established that Yaya had a sixth sense. Also all the ghosts were dead, so there's something that separates them from the rest of humanity right there.

I was just passing an alley when suddenly tripped on the uneven sidewalk. I remembered tripping at the Guardians of the Supernatural. Suddenly over twenty visions of horror wreaked havoc through my mind. One of the most hideous was a knife plunging into a stomach. It sliced through the skin, digging out the intestines. I felt like barfing. Another vision was that of pitchforks and torches. Spears and crossbows and arrows flooded around the sides of my vision as blood pooled in the middle of the scene. The other visions were not so terrifying as those two, but each still held their own tale of horror.

I heard a strained voice. It was a beautiful and smooth voice, but sounded pained and dry.

"I'm thirsty. Your blood... ...smells good."

**Author's Note: CLIFFHANGER!!! I bet you can guess who the voice belongs too! :D ok guess! AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!! I LIKE TO LOGIN AND SEE THAT MY # OF REVIEWS HAVE RISEN. Maybe its shallow, but I don't care. I like knowing people are reading what I'm writing. I like knowing my hard work is worth it.**


	4. A Bloodstain

**Author's Note: I'm so so so so so so so sorry about not having updated lately!!!!! I'm working very hard on this fanfic and my other one, but I've also got a lot of stress from school and stuff, plus these are fairly long chapters (for me) plus I've gotten a total of maybe twelve hours of sleep this week so I'm exhausted.**

Chapter 4: A Bloodstain

I heard a strained voice. It was a beautiful and smooth voice, but sounded pained and dry.

"I'm thirsty. Your blood... ...smells good."

"W-w-w" I was too surprised, I couldn't do anything but stare into the darkness of the alley. I had assumed it was empty, but now I could make out the shape of a teenaged boy.

"Your blood smells delicious!" the boy's hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. I was too surprised and he was unbelievably strong for me to struggle with any amount of success.

His tongue ran against the cut on my hand. Then he grabbed my hand and with one of his fingernails reopened my wound. I felt the hot blood pooling in my palm. The boy licked my hand clean. I tried to back away, but he caught my leg and I fell backwards. He tore off the bandaid on my leg and started sucking up the blood.

"Ikuto! What are you doing! Stop!" I heard a voice scream. The boy who was apparently named Ikuto looked up suddenly. His eyes met my horror-struck gaze and his expression turned from bloodlust to self-hatred and disgust. I looked around to try and find who had saved me, but I didn't see anyone. Suddenly a translucent figure appeared from the shadows of the alley. The ghost was a boy about ten years old, maybe less.

"Amu are you alright?" Ran asked. She sounded like she was about to start hyperventilating. I saw the boy get up and start running away.

"WAIT! Are you a-a-a..."

"Vampire?" the boy finished for me, "Yes..."

"VAMPIRES! I HATE VAMPIRES MORE THAN ANYTHING! THEY'RE LOATHSOME CREATURES!" Ran screamed, "HOW DARE YOU! JUST DRINK AMU'S BLOOD WITHOUT EVEN INTRODUCING YOURSELF OR APOLOGIZING! VAMPIRES ARE THE WORST!" The boy walked closer.

"Don't be angry. I didn't want to... I'm thirsty." the boy got even closer, and was then on his knees beside me. He clasped his hands around mine.

"I'm so sorry I drank your blood. I've never before done that to a child! I promised myself I wouldn't!"

"Bull!" Ran declared, "You say something like that, but vampires can tell what a person's age is through the scent of blood!" The boy glared up at Ran. I was surprised she knew things like that.

"No when her scent is changed because of ghosts and other supernatural beings!" The boy turned back to me. His eyes were pleading. I was curious now. I'd never met a vampire, and for some reason I felt an urge to learn more about them... I also wanted to learn more about this vampire in particular.

"Why don't you drink children's blood?" I wondered. The boy seemed reluctant to answer.

"Because... I might accidentally... bite someone, and what will I do then? When a vampire bites a human, the human becomes a vampire too. And it's... it's a painful process to become a vampire..."

"But don't you get all sorts of cool powers?" I asked.

"N-no. Not really. I suppose you become more beautiful, but only by a bit, and you do become strong, but vampire powers depend on rank."

"Rank?"

"There are three ranks of vampires. There are the purebloods, which are vampires born as vampires, and then there are those humans that are bitten by purebloods. Those humans become bloodborn vampires, and then the humans bitten from bloodborns are often called leeches. They're like dirt to other vampires – their purpose is being servants to the bloodborns and purebloods." I might of said that sort of thing was cruel, but I'd seen so much more cruel things in my lifetime... no in the past few months.

"And what makes those ranks different other than that?"

"Well, pureblood age slower than bloodborns and leeches don't age at all. Purebloods also own more strength and 'mystical' powers. A bloodborn's transformation into vampirism is quicker than that of leeches, and –as I have heard- feels different. Like being frozen to death instead of being burnt in hell. The sun is really bright on vampires' eyes and our noses are very sensitive. It's the reason behind that stupid garlic myth."

"So vampires stay away from the sun because it's too bright, and you just don't like the smell of garlic?" I summed up his explanation.

"Hmm... you're a smart one." I wasn't sure if he meant for me to hear that, so I ignored the comment all together. There was an awkward silence while I tried to think of more questions, but there were too many. Finally to fill the gap I stuck out my hand (the one that didn't have blood all over it) and declared,

"My name is Hinamori Amu. You are?" the boy shook my hand gently.

"I'm Tsukiyomi Ikuto." I stared at Ikuto. He was gorgeous now that I looked at him. His hair was blue and his eyes were deep indigo. I blushed. He was so close that I could smell his shampoo.

"Err... Tsukiyomi-san, what rank of vampire are you?" I asked shaking those thoughts from my head.

"Pureblood." Ikuto answered with disgust. _Oh god! If this is going to turn into one of those classic "I hate myself because I'm a vampire" stories I'm out of here!_ I thought and started to get up, but unexpected pain shot through my wounded leg. I fell backward and Ikuto caught me. My ghosts hovered protectively over me.

"YOU BLOODSUCKING MONSTER! YOU DID THIS TO HER!" Ran hollered.

"Eh?" I was confused. Ikuto turned his head down to look at me (I was still in his arms). His eyes were apologetic and his voice begged forgiveness.

"A lot of time... err... humans feel pain after having their blood drank by a vampire." Another wave of pain reverberated up my spine.

"Does this mean you bit me? Am I... going to be a vampire too?" I asked. _Meh, I can deal with that... when you're a vampire can you be haunted by ghosts? Oh that reminds me..._

"NO! I didn't bite you! I'm very careful never to bite anyone!" Ikuto was furious. The echo of his voice faded leaving silence.

"Uh... on another note... who's that ghost?" I pointed to the young boy behind Ikuto. Come to think of it, he looked a lot like Ikuto, only with messier hair, but it was the same color and his face (though it looked a lot younger) was basically the same.

"H-h-him? He's... he's err..." Ikuto was struggling with telling me the truth. I could tell. I also could tell he was not going to tell me the truth. I supposed it was for the best. Maybe humans shouldn't get involved with vampires.

"Let's get you home! Which way's your house?" he changed the subject and started walking further down the alley.

"Hey! Let go of Amu-chan you dirt bag!" Suu screamed. I was shocked because dirt bag was like calling someone a motherfucker in Suu's book.

"Amu can't walk right now can she? Do you want me to just leave her here?" Ikuto looked down at me (note: I had been in his arms the entire time), "Which way's your house?"

I knew Ran would disapprove, and I'd take a scolding from her later, but I felt like I could trust Ikuto, even though I didn't know him at all. I pointed in the general direction of my house. To my surprise Ikuto jumped up. We rose in the sky and he landed gracefully on the top of a ten-story building. He jumped again and again, from roof to roof until he saw a residential neighborhood. He jumped from chimney to rooftop to fence then to rooftop until I saw my street. I pointed it out to him and he leapt in that direction. Then I saw my house.

He landed smoothly on my balcony and let my down carefully. My ghosts appeared too, Ikuto had been so quick that they'd trailed behind. I slid open my balcony door. When I turned back to Ikuto I saw him about to leave. I grabbed his wrist (a knee-jerk reaction). He turned with shock evident on his face.

I had to lean against the doorframe to support my weight. I looked up at Ikuto, he was a foot or more taller than me.

"Um... thank you, and goodnight." he smiled (actually it was more like a smirk) and jumped off the balcony.

I was really very tired. I quickly slipped on my pajamas and wrapped myself in blankets. As I fell asleep I saw it. It was another vision.

First there was unimaginable burning, it was worse than what had happened with Suu. It wasn't just fire. It was the fires of hell. I wasn't sure if I was screaming. I wasn't sure if I wasn't really burning. I couldn't feel anything except the fiery burning. While I burned I saw blood. It wasn't just the blood that scared me, it was the fact that the blood drew me in, it made me happy somehow. The burning faded and chilled. There was a fresh feeling of being reborn, but only for an instant. The feeling was soon replaced by terror and darkness. There were shrill screams and blood everywhere. It wasn't just the dieing people, but it was the fact that I was their murderer. I wanted to stop, but that was not my decision to make. There was a beautiful young girl. I told her to run, and she did. She ran away, the last thing I saw were those trusting eyes. Those eyes trusted the monster. How could she trust that monster? Then the burning came back. All I saw was faded, rusty red. It was like my eyes were covered in bloodstains.

"Amu..." I heard dimly. The voice – I recognized the voice – it was soft and lovely, but filled with terror and concern.

"Amu!" The voice said again more fiercely. Suddenly I was aware of myself again. I heard myself screaming. I felt the pressure around my shoulders like someone was hugging me, and I knew that I'd been dreaming. I felt the tears on my face and the numb weakness of my limbs. I took deep breaths and held back the screams. Who ever was holding my started rubbing my arm and the voice said soothingly.

"There, there Amu. You're safe now. It's just a nightmare, Amu. There, there Amu." My eyes fluttered open and I saw Ikuto holding me. His eyes were filled with worry as he looked at me. He jumped back. His grace made it look like he'd flown backwards.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was going to leave before you woke up. I came back because I heard you screaming. You just kept screaming and I was afraid that I really had bitten you. I came back to check, but found that it was just a nightmare..." He explained quickly.

"Then why did you stay?" I asked. It was just a question. I was just curious. I didn't say it in a sad way or an angry way, which made Ikuto seem to open up more. He stepped towards my bed and knelt down.

"I don't know. I did that whenever Utau had bad dreams."

"Utau?" I asked.

"My baby sister." Ikuto explained, "Whenever she had bad dreams I would sleep in her bed and hold her like this," he crawled back into my bed and hugged my shoulders, "See? I'd hold her until all the monsters went away."

"Y-y-you're a good big brother." My comment must have upset him for some reason because he let go of me and got off my bed. His face was angry,

"No. I'm not. I'm not a good big brother. I'm not a good person at all." I sincerely doubted that so I grabbed his hand.

"I think you should let other people make that decision." I declared sternly. He free himself from my grip and walked to my balcony door.

"Just trust me." and he leapt away.

I couldn't get Ikuto out of my head. All I could think about was him. While I got dressed, while I ate breakfast, while I walked to school, all during my classes, while I ate lunch, while I ran in P.E, while I avoided the Guardians, while I walked to the library, while I did my homework, and while I walked home, all I could think about was Ikuto. I barely knew him and yet my head was entirely filled with him.

It was raining again. I opened my door. On my balcony was figure that looked like it was dieing. It was huddled over and soaking wet.

"IKUTO!?"

**Author's Note: SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE!!!!! I WAS WORKING ON OTHER STUFFS!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND REVIEW!!!!**


	5. A Curse

Chapter 5: A Curse

It was raining again. I opened my door. On my balcony was figure that looked like it was dieing. It was huddled over and soaking wet.

"IKUTO!?"

Ikuto looked up. His eyes were red. This shocked me so much that I leapt back. The red in his irises faded back to blue.

"Amu. Amu!" he looked like he could kiss me, but he just pulled his knees closer to his chest. "Amu I couldn't stop thinking about you! So I came back here! I was worried about your leg. There is no set time for how long the pain lasts after vampires drink you blood so I was concerned. I kept having these urges to find you, to follow you, but I was afraid my thirst might take over me!" I shut my door and walked closer to him.

"Why are you so thirsty?" I asked him.

"Well, I don't like drinking people's blood, and sure I can eat human food, that is one of the privileges of purebloods, but it does not nourish me nor does it satisfy my thirst for longer than maybe an hour." I opened the balcony door even more and sat on my knees. Then I slapped him. Just like that. He was so strong that he barely even moved and I was sure I'd bruised my hand, but I didn't care. No one should ever neglect themselves like that.

"It's not like you kill people when you drink their blood! Sure maybe you scare the crap out of them, but everyone needs to be scared once in a while!" I looked over at the little ghost who was always with Ikuto.

"Why don't you tell him these things! Why aren't you making him nourish himself! Do you think it's brave or strong of him to ignore his needs just so he doesn't scare the shit out of some random person? Newsflash it's not strong or brave! It's just stupid!"

"Hey, don't talk to my little brother that way!" Ikuto yelled. _What!? Little brother?_

"But... he's... he's a ghost..." I stammered. Ikuto looked down.

"I wasn't always a pureblood." Ikuto muttered.

"W-what?"

"I was younger than I am now, by a couple years, a bloodborn – for whatever reason – decided to bite me, and it was unimaginable pain. It was like being burned alive. I wasn't strong enough to bear that pain. I wished... I wished for the pain to go away. When I made that wish I heard the voice of an angel. The angel granted me that wish and made me a pureblood vampire. When I woke up, fully transformed the angel told me m-my, my price.

"I was to kill my family and the one who had bitten me. That had been my price. I tried to refuse, but then my body acted on its own. I killed my mother and my father and my brother..."

"What about Utau?" I asked. But I was starting to realize the answer. I was suspicious of that dream I'd had the night before.

"She ran. She ran faraway. I don't know where she is now, but she must hate me. The angel agreed to let Utau live... ...on the condition that I never see her again." Ikuto looked as if he were about to cry.

"And what happens if, if you do see Utau again?"

"I have to bite her." Ikuto answered sullenly.

**Author's Note: Ok this chapter is short, i'm sorry. But it is vital to the plot. Also I didn't really now how to continue from where it ends so... what is an author to do? Anyway next chapter will be longer i promise!!!!!**


	6. A Werewolf

Chapter 6: A Werewolf

(BTW This is a mysterious POV until later 'k? Just read carefully)

Being a werewolf is not as hard as people think. The transformation from human form to wolf form may be slow but is only painful if you fight it. You only feel bloodlust, as a wolf otherwise raw steak will do just fine. Nearest a full moon I do get a little moody though, and that really pisses off my cousin, but otherwise its cool.

I really love being a werewolf. 'Cuz when I'm a wolf I'm even faster than when I'm human! I can talk to animals too, though actually that's not as cool as people think. Animals are really boring. The small animals think of only hiding from the big animals and the big animals only think of eating.

If I'm lucky I sometimes come across young bear cubs or wolf puppies, and then I play with them because unlike adult animals the young think of adventure and play.

But once the night of the full moon is over I go back to my human form. As my cousin had explained to me, werewolfism is like a disease that is spread through biting and scratching, and becoming a wolf is like an allergic reaction cause when moonlight touches the skin.

As the moon wanes my senses become more and more human. I'm at my most human during a new moon just like I am most wolf during a full moon. On the nights in between I am just that, in between. I am half wolf and half human, but it's not like how it is in mangas like Tokyo Mew Mew. I don't just get ears and a tail, no my body gets furrier and my nails become more claw-like, plus my teeth are sharp as nails.

I used to have brown eyes like the rest of my family except when I became a werewolf my eyes turned green. My cousin said that I was lucky they didn't turn orange or red or something. I think red would've been cooler than green though.

I howled excitedly at the large glowing orb set deep in the sparkling night sky. I was in my truest wolf form and that meant I could not see colors very well, but I didn't mind. I could smell miles away and hear even farther than that.

I ran a fast as I could, _feeling_ the dawn was nearing. The sunbeams would make my wolf form – that I loved with all my heart – flee from my skin, taking with it the unimaginable, unequaled senses that it granted me during the nights. The wind blew through my thick chestnutty umber colored fur. I was deep inside the park furthest away from town and civilians. I knew my domestic human nature would not bare change against the wild and ferocious wolf instinct that pulsed its strongest tonight.

As the first rays of golden sunlight clashed with the silver shadow haven of darkness I could no longer hear the dim and slow breath of the birds in the trees or the rabbits hiding in their hole. I could not smell the blood running in the eagles that glided lazily in the morning cool above me and I could not see the dew forming on the highest leaves of the highest tree.

Losing these high quality senses was like moving from your hometown. I suddenly felt alone despite the hugeness of the world and the knowledge that I would soon be greeted cheerfully by my human companions.

I gave in to my human form without struggle; I'd learned long ago that struggling would only bring pain and slow the process. The first thing to be gone was my tail and then most of my fur. My nose became that of a human's, and my paws morphed into clawless human hands and feet. My ears left and finally my fangs decreased. The only things that stayed the same were my green eyes, which were about the most human feature I had when I was one with the wolf.

"Done playing around?" I turned to see who had spoken. My cousin was half hidden behind a tree, holding my clothes – you didn't think my clothes would just pop in and out of existence did you? She handed them to me, despite the fact she was scared stiff. I know what you're thinking, but it didn't really matter that she was right in front of me while I was naked.

"What time is it?"

"Sixish." she replied timidly starting in the direction of civilization.

"That's good, I have time until school starts to take a shower and eat breakfast."

"You didn't eat any stray cats this time?" she mocked hesitantly.

"That was once! ONCE! You'll never let me forget that! Jeez!" I heard her snicker, and I joined in. It was too funny not to laugh. We arrived at the family manor before the sun had even completely made it over the hills.

**Amu's POV**

I had had more nightmares, and assumed that I'd been screaming because when I awoke Ikuto was on my porch. He hung out on my porch often though hardly ever went inside. I'd asked him why he did that once and he'd said,

"When I see you I can control my bloodlust, but if I'm too close to you I might slip."

Ikuto did not hate himself for being a vampire. He liked every thing about being a vampire and tolerated the drinking blood thing, but – according to him – when he messed up he punished himself. Apparently it causes physical _pain_ to vampires if they haven't drank blood in too long. It pissed me off to no end to know this and yet see his eyes flash red every couple seconds. The more his eyes flashed the thirstier he was, and the thirstier he was – I was sure – the more pain he was in.

There was enough pain in the world wasn't there? Why did he have to inflict more pain onto himself? Why couldn't he just go to a hospital? Didn't they have like blood for blood transfusions there? Wouldn't that work, or was he also preventing himself from being a thief too? I kept thinking mean things because of this. The worst and most horrible thought I'd had was one I would always feel shame for,

_His family's sacrifice would be worth nothing if he didn't take care of himself._

Ever since the second I thought that the words kept reappearing in my head along with instant regret.

At school I expected to be thinking about Ikuto the entire day until I saw Kukai at lunch. He was under a tree _sleeping_. He did look a bit tired, and I was surprised by how comfortable he looked too.

"Kukai-sama?" I called to him. He didn't move. I came closer to him. He was curled up like a dog at his master's feet. "Kukai-sama." I said again poking his shoulder. His leg swung up suddenly. His foot connected with my cheek and my skull crashed against the truck of the tree. It hurt like hell and I wondered if I was bleeding. I looked down to see Kukai staring at me with wide eyes, shock lucid on his face.

"Hinamori-chan, are you ok?" he asked stunned. He shook his head, took his foot away from my ear, and sat up, "Sorry, knee-jerk reaction," he yawned, "What's up?"

"Well, it's just you were sleeping, err, sorry to disturb you..." Kukai looked around himself in a confused manner then abruptly muttered a long string of swears.

"Is something wrong?"

"Eh? Well if by wrong you mean I just slept though the first half of my classes then yes."

"YOU WHAT?" It was hard for me to keep the laughter out of my voice and maintain a straight face. Kukai snorted.

"What ever, what period is it now?"

"Lunch." I replied.

"Oh, I see... Yaya's probably looking for me then – she always packs our lunches."

"But she's blind..."

"She has that sixth sense remember?"

"Oh, right." Yaya had the ability to "sense" things, whatever that meant. Kukai got up and brushed himself off.

"See ya, Hinamori-chan, oh and the Guardians wouldn't mind having you around you know, just a thought."

"Hmph. Don't hold your breath." He leaned down, his face much too close to mine,

"Bet I can longer than you can."

"What?"

"I bet you I can hold my breath longer than you can hold yours... ready... set-GO!" he sucked in a deep breath and just held it there.

"What?" I repeated. He laughed.

"I win!" I stared at him as he walked away then looked up at the thick clouds above, "IS THERE ANYONE IN THIS WORLD WHO'S NORMAL?" I shouted.

I came home from a long day of avoiding the Guardians however possible. Dropping my bag onto my desk chair I collapsed onto my bed. I vaguely remembered I was supposed to make dinner for Ami. Usually I never went near Ami, she was nothing to me but an annoyance. At that thought I wondered if that had been Dia's feelings about me, but I shook my head. Dia's love had been so real – the only solid thing about my life; she couldn't have been just being nice because I was little or because she had to. Her and my relationship was nothing like my relationship with Ami, I was sure of that.

For the first time I realized Ikuto was sitting on my porch. He looked sick – his skin pale even for him and he looked horribly tired. I saw his eyes flash red. _THAT'S IT!_ I screamed in my head, _I've had enough!_

I slid open the porch door with too much force and started yelling at Ikuto.

"For the love of God, would you just admit your thirsty and get on with it already!?" I didn't care if anyone could hear me, if they could they would not understand what I was saying.

"Pfft, don't try reasoning with the guy Amu. He hasn't listened before, so why would he now?" Miki said as she phased through the wall.

"Besides! Vampires are stupid vermin!" Ran looked as if she would've kicked Ikuto if it weren't for the fact her foot would go right through his head.

"No name calling..." Suu pouted.

Ikuto just looked up at me with a blank expression. He was such an idiot. Who would starve themselves? He couldn't be more of an idiot! There was only one solution to this.

I dropped onto my knees in front of him and shoved my hand to his lips. I glared at him,

"Drink." I ordered.

"Amu NO!" Ikuto was determined, but I was more determined.

"Ikuto YES! I'm tired of you starving yourself! This has got to stop! I won't let you inflict pain on yourself! STOP EFFING GOING EMO!"

"Amu you're just a kid!"

"NO! I'll be twelve in about a week! So drink!" he stared at me, refusing to give. I pressed my palm against his lips, "Ikuto, if you don't I'll cut myself." I threatened. His eyes said, "I'll leave." but I knew he wouldn't say it because he might bite my hand, also leaving would mean sucking the blood of an innocent bystander, and he wouldn't like that. I spotted some scissors next to some fabric I'd been cutting – Suu was teaching me to sew – and it was close enough to the door the door. Ikuto glared at me, I knew he wanted to say something like, "Amu, you wouldn't dare!" but I would. I grabbed the scissors without taking my palm away from Ikuto's lips. I took one of the blades on the scissors and connected it with my skin. They were sharp scissors and easy bit into my weak skin.

The red in Ikuto's eyes pulsed violently. I could see him struggling, it wasn't a pleasant sight at all, but if I did not watch him – if I turned away – he would think I was scared and he would not do it, but he needed to.

I watched in silence at he took my wrist in his hands and put his lips to the wound. I watched as he sucked the blood; it was like sucking poison out of a snakebite. Though it was awkward to just keep staring at him because Ikuto kept looking up at me I continued to gaze directly at him. I was tired of all this pain and agony surrounding my life!

Moments passed and then Ikuto closed his eyes – finally enjoying the blood, I figured. I gasped. Ikuto had licked the wound and it had been so cold and yet so warm. It's hard to explain. My arm had gone almost numb with cold as Ikuto separated his lips from the cut and yet my blood became so hot I thought it might steam.

Ikuto stopped abruptly, though I had finally won – I could see it in his face. He pushed himself into the corner of my balcony and wouldn't come out until I washed and put a bandaid on my cut. When I did that he came into my room – sitting down at my desk.

I lay back on my bed. You might think a vampire sucking your blood would be a traumatic experience, but yet worse things have happened.

"Ikuto-kun, what do you do when I'm at school? Surely you don't just sit on my balcony." I asked at I rolled onto my back and hung my head upside-down off the side of my bed. (**A/N: it's so fun doing that, isn't it?**)

"Well, actually, mostly I wander around, but occasionally I go to work."

"Work?"

"Mmm." was his reply. It was like he didn't want to tell me. I sighed. I was too tired to push on the subject. But then again, I could at least ask one question couldn't I?

"What is your work, Ikuto?" I wondered. He seemed apprehensive, but – with the awesome might of my stare – he gave and replied hesitantly,

"I work with a company that hunts supernatural creatures."

**Author's Note: UGH! THIS TOOK FOREVER TO WRITE!!!!! PLEASE TELL ME YOUR GUESS TO WHO'S POV THAT WAS IN THE BEGINNING!!!! AND PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER!!!!**

**AND BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE SERIOUSLY THESE CHAPTERS TAKE A **_**LONG**_** TIME TO WRITE AND I'M WORKING ON **_**TWO **_**FANFICS AND DEALING WITH HOMEWORK STRESS! SO PLEASE BE PATIENT!!!!! I ONLY FINALLY FINISHED THIS, WHICH I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR **_**DAYS**_.


	7. Eat or be Eaten

Chapter 7: Eat or be Eaten

"What is your work, Ikuto?" I wondered. He seemed apprehensive, but – with the awesome might of my stare – he gave and replied hesitantly,

"I work with a company that hunts supernatural creatures." This was not something I had expected. Then again, I didn't think Ikuto was some pencil pushing cubical worker.

"...But you _are_ a supernatural creature..." I stated blankly. Ikuto stared into my eyes.

"In the world I live in it's the law of eat or be eaten. Unfortunately you have now been introduced to that world." his expression saddened.

_To live by a single phrase such as "eat or be eaten", am I ready for such a thing? Can I do that?_ Such a thing troubled me. Ikuto's whole world troubled me. I realized with clarity like no other that I didn't understand Ikuto, and that I had forced my views upon him just moments ago.

Did I regret it? Of course not. I could never bear to see him in that state again – where he was half insane with hunger and half insane with the strength to ignore his hunger.

"Tell me more, about your job."

"The company I work for doesn't only _hunt_ creatures, it also studies them. Hunting is for the ones out of control. We capture the wanderers and study them."

"Wanderers?"

"...Well often supernatural beings travel in packs, groups, clans – whatever you want to call them. Sometimes one strays away. That's where Easter comes in."

"Easter is the name of the company?"

"Yes."

"I see... And how do _you_ fit in at Easter? How did you come to work there?" Ikuto was more than hesitant to answer the first question. I could see it in his movements, his expression, and I could hear it in the way he stuttered.

"I... I'm cleanup." he finally replied. I stared at him – unblinking – until he explained further, "I... I get rid of the evidence."

"...The... evidence." I repeated blindly like a parrot.

"Any sort of capture or destroying of the dangerous, there's sometimes some work that's needed to be done, to cover it up." I was about to ask a follow up question, a question I knew would bring me down a dark alley that Ikuto did not want to take me to, and he could see it in my face and decided to answer the second question.

"Pure blood vampires... there's not a lot of information on them, because they are not only rare, but they are powerful. They are royalty and therefore have guards and so forth and they are pompous too. So you will almost never find a Pureblood just wandering around the streets of a human city nor will you find one willing to become partners with anything less than another Pureblood.

"but me – having no family and no where to go – I was a wanderer. It was the single most perfect chance for Easter. I was on their most wanted list for months on end. It was unbelievably tiring. I finally found their headquarters and snuck in to find out why they were after me. Once I understood their process I went to them and made a deal. If they gave me a job I'd give them information. The job came with decent pay and a small abode in an apartment owned by Easter.

"A lot of special agents hung around there, I got my hands on some information that nobody was supposed to see. Now they're watching every move I make. I can't go home without risking getting killed. It's something I'm worried about. If I stay here too long they'll find me."

"So... that's another reason for not drinking blood for a long time. If you do stories of someone going around and sucking people's blood might lead Easter to you."

"Well... I'm pretty sure none of my victims tell anyone about what happened, 'cuz really, who'd believe them? Plus I'm sure they'd be too afraid of me to even try spreading stories around, but yes something like that." I had crossed the room and had my arms around Ikuto's neck before I knew what I was doing.

"You're a fugitive. On the run – no place to go, no one to turn to. That must be so horrible – like when you have a bad dream over and over again and you just keep reliving the same nightmare."

"You're wrong, I have someone to turn to. I have you. For as long as I don't put you in more danger than you're in right now I think I can rely on you. I've been relying on you haven't I?" I gazed into Ikuto's beautiful blue eyes – there was no sign of red anymore – and nodded.

"Amu no!" Ran yelled at me, "Amu don't do this! You can't trust a vampire let alone a vampire that'll so willingly go back on his own kind! What kind of person is that? Can you not see he's no good?"

"Ran's right! That jerk is just going to get you into trouble Amu!"

"Miki, I understand Ran not trusting Ikuto-san, but you? Why would you care? You never care? I thought you hated Amu." Miki looked taken aback by Suu's comment. She looked at the floor.

"I never said I hated Amu. I just begrudged her for making me haunt her."

"It wasn't her decision. She's just a little girl, how could she have understood?"

"ENOUGH SAPPY TALK I WANT THAT BLOOD SUCKING VERMIN OUT OF MY SIGHT NOW!"

"Stop talking about my brother like he's a cockroach!" Yoru yelled at Ran. Ran screamed at him.

"HE MURDERED YOU AND YOU STILL STAND BY HIM? WHAT KIND OF DUMBASS ARE YOU?"

"You don't know Ikuto so how dare you say things like that about him!"

"I KNOW VAMPIRES!"

"HOW COULD YOU KNOW VAMPIRES! YOU'RE SOME LITTLE GIRL!"

"How do I know? How do I know? I'm a freaking vampire hunter that's how I know!"

"Vampire hunter?" I questioned, shocked. Ran looked at me.

"You saw it in the vision Amu, I'm surprised you hadn't started asking questions. The person chasing me had been a vampire. I'm was just a trainee of course – being so young – so there was no chance I could take on a vampire alone, so I ran. I kept running until I fell off that building. The next thing I knew I was dead. And now you fraternize with this vampire scum even after knowing he murdered his family!"

"Ran, calm down." Suu murmered.

"No Suu! Ran is perfectly justified in hating Amu. Not only does Amu hang out with Ran's life long enemy she also is the cause of our deaths! That's why she has those visions."

"Visions?" Ikuto asked.

"When we came to haunt her, Amu saw how each of us died." Miki explained.

"Well, I also see how any other ghost died." I corrected Miki. She looked at me stunned. She hadn't realized that I saw others' deaths besides that of the ghosts that haunt me. Ikuto got off his chair and turned me around. His hands gripped my shoulders too forcefully I thought the bone might break. He looked down at me ferociously.

"You see how people die!? You saw how I died didn't you! You had a vision of what happened to my family didn't you?" I couldn't stand his angry stares so I looked at the floor.

"Yes." I answered simply. Ikuto let go of me and spun around so that his back faced me.

"AAAARGH! And you still stand by me! It's not bad enough that I told you what happened, but you had to actual see it too! How can you stand being around me?"

"But I don't only _see_ the death I feel it too. You fought against whatever force it was that made you kill them. You killed them, but you didn't want to."

"If I had been stronger they wouldn't be dead!" his hands clenched into fists and shook with frustration. I walked up and hugged him.

"Ikuto you were strong! You fought so much that you were able to get Utau to run! That saved her life!"

"How can you so much as look at a murderer like me?"

"O shut up! I'm tired of this self-pity act! C'mon! You love being a vampire, admit it!"

"Well... I am super fast and super strong. Plus, as a Pureblood, I get some special powers to go along with my other vampire powers."

"See? So stop complaining! You saved your sister, you have awesome powers, and at least you still get to spend time with your little brother, right? Isn't that enough? Nobody's perfect you know." Ikuto put his hands on mine – which were locked together to keep him in the hug.

"I really can turn to you can't I?"

"Yes. You can. I'll protect you when no one else can!" When I said those words it was like my whole world changed. I knew I would protect Ikuto from Easter. I'd have to protect all these supernatural creatures around me. Didn't that me I was a guardian? I sighed internally. I had no choice now. I had to join the Guardians. It seemed like my destiny.

After school the next day I paced in front of the abandoned greenhouse where the Guardians helped out ghosts. I wasn't sure how to accept their offer. I'd been planning all last night and the whole day how I might say it, but words were failling me. But luck seemed to be on my side because the bipolar purple hair walked outside at one point.

"So are you going to come inside or are you going to continue wearing a whole through the earth?" he/she asked.

"Eh? Well..." I had no idea how to begin.

"You finally want to become a Guardian?" he guessed. Relief flooded through me.

"Yes."

"Then come inside!" _Nadehiko!_ I finally remembered the boy's name. He was annoying me because he was acting girly again.

"Tadase! Kukai! Yaya!" Nadehiko called, "Amu-chan has finally agreed to join the Guardians!"

"Eh!? Really?" Yaya rounded a corner and hugged me cheerily, "Welcome Amu-chi!"

"HAHA! Hinamori-chan! I knew you couldn't resist my good looks!" Kukai teased. He seemed much less agitated today than that other day.

"Welcome Hinamori-san." Tadase – looking gay as ever – bowed to me. Kukai pried Yaya off me saying,

"Now now Yaya! You had your turn so I'd like to have mine."

"Eh? Wai—" but it was too late Kukai swept my into his arms hugging me really tight. He was unbelievably strong. I guess I already knew that from when he kicked my head into that tree, but still he was about as strong as Ikuto. He started howling with laughter. I could feel the vibration to the sound resonating under his skin. He was a really nice guy. I surprised him by hugging back, but then to cover up that gesture I had to hug the heshit (he + she + it) and the gay-homo-faggot and Yaya for a second time. I kept having to remind myself _This is for Ikuto. This is for Ikuto. Remember, eat or be eaten._

**Author's Note: Sorry to any Nadehiko fans about the heshit thing. It's an inside joke among many of my friends. So please tell me what you thought of the chapter. I hope it was good! I really really hope so! And the whole eat or be eaten thing is a theme that will be reappearing, just a warning. I think I put that in there because our class just finished reading Call of the Wild and that was one of the themes (honestly I didn't like the book that much but I do like the themes it offered)**


	8. A Doublecrossing

Chapter 8: A Double-crossing

In the time it took for me to learn the ropes of being a Guardian I had already decided that this was not the way to protect Ikuto. They were passive about nearly everything. They're main activity was to give the ghosts company.

I didn't need to spend time with random ghosts who were not affiliated with me. I had more important things to do, and more pressing matters to end to.

An idea – a dangerous but reasonable one – formed rather quickly in my head after I agreed to join The Guardians. I asked questions politely; doubting any of them could guess that I did not plan to follow their idiotic routines.

The Guardians apparently only kept a look out for rogue creatures (which didn't come their way that often) and befriend the supernatural that are willing to cooperate peacefully. That was no way to be a help to Ikuto, and it sounded boring. The only activity that seemed at all interesting was when once a week they looked through the mess of books inside the greenhouse and studied myths and legends trying to compare them to fact.

It seemed like a tedious way of going about learning about the supernatural though. Patience was not something I owned neither was it something I had time for nor wanted time for. I'd been born in the age of technology and speed, what did you expect?

When I came back to my house that day Ikuto was lying casually on my bed.

"You should really learn to lock your window. Who knows what kind of evil creatures could get in undetected unless you do," He commented. I was happier than I had been for _ages_ to see him talking so casually to me. He obviously did not have to work at all on fighting his thirst today.

"Oh you mean like the vampire sitting on my bed?" I joked and sat down at my desk to start my homework. A back of my mind groaned as I realized I had math. I _hated_ math.

It was quiet for a little while. Though I stared at my math book I did not read it. I was too busy turning my idea over and over in my head. I knew I'd have to consult Ikuto about it first. I swallowed and gathered my courage.

"Ikuto?" I said too loudly. I tended to yell when I was nervous.

"...yes?"

"Well, I joined these... this club that associates with supernatural creatures..."

"What's their name!" he demanded suddenly.

"Um... the Guardians."

"DAMMIT!" he growled, and it was seriously a growl.

"What?" I jumped.

"Those guys..." he muttered to himself, "Joining them was dangerous. They know a lot of information on the whereabouts of some creatures Easter would really like to get its hands on, but they refuse to disclose that knowledge. They know Easter is no good, but not giving in will cause little kids like them major problems in the end." I blessed whatever deity watched over me. This was exactly the kind of info I needed to give me an advantage.

"Well... I'm glad you mentioned Easter, but really I don't fit in with these Guardians, and—"

"Absolutely not! Amu, I'm a fugitive because of them! Do you want to end up like me, or worse? The second you become disloyal or lose usefulness they will _kill_ you. Do you realize that?" Ikuto knew me too well by now. I hadn't even finished my sentence when he'd objected, no that I'd expected anything less. I calmly looked at him. In the seconds it had taken for him to explain how the Guardians were involved with Easter I'd made up my mind.

The opportunity was perfect, and I could tell the fates were urging me towards Easter. They were calling me – pushing me towards that future.

"Ikuto, I'm joining Easter. I already have the address of one of its little bases. I'm going in for a job interview on Saturday." Before I took another breath Ikuto had crossed the room and his hands were clasped gently on my shoulders.

"You're twelve – about – how do you expect to get a job at _Easter_ of all places?"

"I have certain advantages that most eleven-year-olds who want to join Easter (if there are any that is) don't."

"And what, pray-tell, is that?" he inquired. I saw frustration in his eyes.

"My parents give me a lot of freedom, for starters, another is I'm haunted by _three_ ghosts. Not only that, but for some reason I can see deaths. They'll like that. And most importantly, I'm inside the Guardians. I can get access to any information Easter needs." Ikuto – I could see it in his face, and hear it when he spoke – knew I had a valid point.

"Amu, I don't like this at all. You'll get hurt. I know you will!" I shook my head,

"But Ikuto, this will be the best way to protect you. If I'm inside Easter I'll have a better chance of knowing _ahead_ of time if they've caught your scent." Ikuto's eyes pleaded for me to not do this, but I had won. He closed his eyes and finally said,

"I will allow this, but _only,_ and only if, you do not mention you special ability to them."

"Why?"

"Just. Promise. Me." Ikuto's voice rose with his anger.

"OK." I agreed without further question.

The next day I went to a tall skyscraper that over looked a busy highway overpass full of cars, but not that many pedestrians. The area was too industrial for many pedestrians. Smog hung in the air like a blanket. I walked inside the building before me displaying more courage than I actually had.

I meandered towards the receptionist. She was a bony, middle-aged woman with gray hair in a tight braid running down her spine. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line and her wrinkles made her look agitated. She heard my footsteps on the hard linoleum floor and looked up. Her hazel eyes were a kind and I saw her lips twitch up into a smile.

"May I help you?" she asked. Her voice was horse like she was getting over a cold.

"Yes, thank-you, I'd like to see Mr. Hoshina." I answered, hoping she didn't notice that my voice shook slightly. Her eyebrows shot up.

She cleared her throat before asking politely, "Do you have an appointment?" her voice, even after coughing, still came out as a croak.

"Yes." I replied. And I did. After finishing my homework Ikuto – who knew all the right people to call – had helped me to get an appointment as soon as possible – which happened to be today – with Mr. Hoshina, the managing director of Easter.

"Oh... um, yes. Go up to the twelfth floor and tell the receptionist up there that you're here to see Mr. Hoshina, ok?" she was surprised and her eyes were filled with a soft worry. It made me wonder idly if she knew exactly what sort of company Easter was. I suppose it wouldn't surprise me if she did, but it would not surprise me of many of the employees didn't have a clue.

"Yes, and thank you." I answered and walked to elevator.

I stepped inside it and the door closed silently behind me. I turned around and pressed the button "12" then took to standing still while the elevator slowly rose upwards.

"There are cameras everywhere in the building. Do not act in a way you don't want them to see you acting, but if you're too perfect, they'll know something's up." Ikuto had informed me before I left for the appointment. I didn't have school that day and my parents were out shopping. Ami was over at a friend's until late.

My ghosts became visible beside me. Ghosts – I had learned this upon joining the Guardians – have the power to turn invisible to even those who could see ghosts, but they can't change the fact that those who can't see ghosts can't see ghosts. _I bet the cameras can pick up on ghosts._ I thought to myself.

"Amu-chan! This isn't right!" Ran said in a pleading voice.

"I know that's how you view it." I answered collectedly, keeping my expression composed.

"The Guardian's could be your _friends_ if you would just let them!" Suu beseeched.

"You don't have to betray them, Amu!" Ran pressed.

"Just leave her be Ran!" Miki yelled then grumbled, "She doesn't care about anyone, but herself anyway."

"Shut up. We're here." I told the three as a ding sounded and the doors slid open.

I smiled internally as I walked towards the receptionist on floor 12. It had gone perfectly. If the cameras did pick up on ghosts I'd just set up the fact that: one I was in the Guardians. And two, I was betraying them. Though I wouldn't really call it betraying them, because my loyalty had never been with them in the first place.

"Name." the twelfth floor receptionist asked, keeping her eyes on the computer. The woman was around my mother's age and was unbelievably plain. She had limp brown hair and a slight over-bite. Her clothes were all gray and she looked tired.

"Hinamori Amu." I answered. The secretary looked at me quickly then back at the computer and continued typing.

"Mr. Hoshina office is room 1213, big black door, can't miss it." she said without looking at me. I looked around myself and found the direction room 1213 would be in.

I opened the big black door and entered a poorly lit office that had a _lovely_ view of the smog lazily hovering over the many other office buildings in the area.

"Hinamori Amu." A gruff, deep voice said. They way he said it I had to assume Mr. Hoshina meant it as a welcome though it sounded more like a death threat. I bowed to him and replied.

"Mr. Hoshina." He gestured towards a dark brown leather chair in front of him.

"Sit." he ordered. I obeyed instantly. I could see humor – or maybe it was a trick of the light or gas or something – light his eyes a tiny bit.

"You are a bit young for a job, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question, but I replied,

"I'm twelve Sir." He nodded.

"And what would a twelve-year-old little girl want with a job in Easter?"

"Well, I heard about Project Myth, Sir." Project Myth – Ikuto had told me this – was Easter's term for the part of the company that deals with the supernatural."

"Where did you hear about that?"

"I've recently been entangled in with the supernatural, and one of my ghosts had had information and well, long-story short, I ended up here."

"_One_ of your ghost _s_?" Mr. Hoshina inquired. Shock briefly flashed across his face.

"I have three ghosts haunting me, Sir."

"I see... and why _exactly_ do you want to work for _Easter_, of all people? Because, I hear you're inside a little group called the Guardians." his voice was menacing, but I tried very hard to not show fear. I swallowed,

"The Guardian's attitude is too passive. They're not organized enough for me nor are they active or productive. Plus they're just a club. _Easter_ pays money. I need pocket money."

"Hmm... You say those things about the Guardians but they've been quite the bother for _us_ over the years. How can they be so incompetent as you say if they've managed that?"

"Yes, they mentioned Easter. Apparently they've been protecting quite a lot of creatures from you. But it would take loads of magic power to protect all those creatures wouldn't it? I think I can figure out who's behind that and put a clean end to it." The man nodded and murmured roughly,

"We know there is a lot of magic power in the group, but one single power is protecting the ghosts, the metempsychosist, and that darn werewolf." Metempsychosist... that was someone or something that had been reincarnated. It didn't surprise me that one of those was in the club. Werewolf though? I would've thought a werewolf might of been a little hard to miss. Mr. Hoshina glared at me after a long moment of thought, "I will give you a job." He said, "You will work various missions dealing with creatures that are merely bothering us. You will have to kill sometimes," he warned.

"I understand. Thank you." I got up and bowed, "Mailing my paycheck to me is not an option. I'll need to receive it by hand on payday. I hope you understand that this is to keep my parents clueless as ever."

"They cannot see ghosts or do any sort of magic I take it," he muttered.

"No they can't. But ever since a... um... incident... I have been given a lot of freedom."

"Completing your missions will not be problem?" he questioned. I was sure he doubted me. I shook my head.

"I'll sneak out if I have to!" I said earnestly. I seriously was going to fulfill any work I was given by Easter. This was not a double-double crossing in anyway. Though I was prepared for it to turn into one. I thought of only myself much too often.

On my way home I wondered if I were doing this for me or for Ikuto. All night I couldn't escape the pressing question. _Why _am_ I doing this?_

**Author's Note: I'm not sure if the title fits real well... but I don't really care. So I hope you liked it. It took a really long time to write. I'm hoping Amu will find out Kukai's a werewolf in the next chapter... but ya never know. Also – heads-up – this fanfic will gear more towards Amuto vs Kukamu rather the classic Amuto vs Tadamu, because seriously. Tadamu will not happen and is icky. Kutamu I could live with though I'd be severely disappointed. There will be Kutau.**


	9. A Friend

Chapter 9: A Friend

About a week later – on a Friday, after an extremely boring Guardian's meeting – I came home to find a package addressed to me sitting on the front step. I picked up the cardboard box. It was oddly heavy for its size, and there was no return address of anything. I realized it was most likely my Easter uniform.

"Ikuto! I'm back!" I called as I walked up the stairs and into my room. My parents were almost never home because Ami always had _something_ going on. She was energetic and happy and wonderfully innocent, but that could get annoying.

I opened my door, waving the box in his face. He was lying on my bed reading one of my favorite mangas.

"Got my uniform today!" He sat up, and snatched the box from me.

"Ikuto! Give it back! C'mon I have to try it on before my parents get back home!" I fought to get the box from him, but he had started his favorite game of "keep away".

"Grrrr! Fine!" I yelled, having had enough, and went to my desk to start homework. Just as expected of him he dropped the box in my lap.

"Here you go!" He smirked. Taking it from him as rudely as possible I preceded to fight with the packing tape to get the stupid thing open.

"Amu, you have scissors right there!" Miki pointed to my desk.

"Eh? Right!" I heard Ran and Yoru snigger. From the package I pulled out my uniform and uncovered an assortment of the weapons. _So that's why it was so heavy_.

Besides my uniform the box was filled with a one-handed crossbow – with bolts – a gun with a weird looking symbol on it, bullets, a short sword, a couple throwing knives, sticks of dynamite, matches, two curves blades with handles that looked like mini scythes though I knew them to be called sickle, a thigh holster for the gun, a sheath for the sword, a belt bag for small things – such as the matches – a bag to carry the rest, and finally, there were black metal boxes.

When I touched its top long metal blade shot out of one end like claws. I looked at Ikuto. He was frowning at all the weapons. His eyes seemed to say "I knew this was a bad idea". I tried to find something to say. Finally I grabbed my uniform and stated,

"I-I'll go try this on then."

When I came back to my room I wore a dark blue sleeveless top and dark blue skinny jeans. The shirt stopped above my stomach and I wore long, fingerless gloves. To my embarrassment, when Ikuto saw me I heard the sound of his heart racing.

"Ikuto?"

"Uh..."

"Ikuto?"

"EH! Oh, um, yes?"

"Could you help me? I want to see if I can actually carry around all this stuff!" He shrugged and started putting the varying weapons into the backpack. Well it wasn't really a backpack. Instead of two straps it had one that went over one shoulder and under the other arm like a seatbelt. When he was done he handed it to me, and I put it on.

It was heavy, but no so heavy I could not carry it. Then he carefully strapped the claws over my gloves. I repeatedly crushed my hand into a fist then relaxed my fingers, watching the blades go in and out while Ikuto attacked the sheath – with sword inside – onto my belt. Last game the gun. I strapped on the holster and stuck in the gun.

All of it was heavier than I would've liked, and the thigh holster was kind of uncomfortable, though it did look cool. The bag was heavy and I'd have trouble running with the sword hanging from my belt like it was. Also, while wearing the claws, I'd have to be careful about when I clenched my hands into fists. But these were all things I'd get used to in time.

Ikuto shook his head, "With all these weapons... you're not part of... of _disposal_ are you?"

"Disposal?"

"The branch that takes care of disposing of the supernatural creatures that cause problems." Ikuto explained.

"Maybe I am... but that doesn't matter. It's like how you said, eat or be eaten. I have to look out for myself." I had taken the job for Ikuto's sake though.

"Are you saying you don't care what you have to kill as long as you come out on top?"

"...Pretty much." Ikuto was plainly worried about me. I realized I was a twelve year old girl who was fully prepared to shoot someone with a crossbow, "Well... before the whole thing with ghosts, and Guardians, and Easter, and vampires, I wouldn't have been thinking like this, but... those visions, the death of my sister, the being haunted... all those things changed me." I mumbled. Ikuto sighed,

"I suppose what is done cannot be undone... by the way. Do you even know how to use any of these things? I mean, a gun maybe, and lighting dynamite, but a sickle? A crossbow? Do you know how to use those sort of things?" I wanted to laugh at him.

"Of course I do! After school this whole week I've been ditching Guardians to get weapons training at Easter!" Ikuto glared at me.

"And you didn't bother to tell my this, _why_?" he demanded. I shrugged.

"I didn't think it mattered so much."

"WHAT? You didn't think—"

"Ah, ah, ah, what's done cannot be undone, remember?" He groaned; his palm collided with his forehead.

***

With my crossbow in one hand and my sword hung in its sheath at my belt, I ran with the night sky illuminated by a waxing moon. A demon creature had been sighted a mile from the school. I was not protecting the school –mind you. I was after the demon because Easter told me to kill it. I knew well that I was just an obedient pawn. This fact I did not mind so much. It was my first kill though. I wasn't sure how I supposed to feel. Some would say I should be hesitant, others would say it'd should be an exhilarating experience. I felt neither emotion.

I think I felt almost bored as I entered the park just beyond my school's grounds. I wanted to kill the beast and leave. There was no emotion attached to it – like doing easy, but time consuming, homework.

The monster was dark green, and covered with mud and filth. It had a furry spider body, but its jaws were mutated into that of a shark's. It had a large scaly tale with spikes on the end of it. The worst part was that it was over four times my height.

With my loaded crossbow I took aim at one of the hundreds of eyes it had. The small bolts of my crossbow were not enough to penetrate into the heart or into the skull, but they could blind a creature. I pulled the trigger, sending a sharpened bolt – tipped with poison – into the eye on the far left. The thing uttered a terrible noise – like a wailing baby with something caught in its throat.

Fangs laced with poison, it snapped at me with its powerful jaws. I easily dodged. Despite it being the dead of night I could see perfectly fine. I was also finding that the more I hung around supernatural creatures, the more I became part of the supernatural world. I had started being able to sense all sorts of creatures. In the past week I had learned what death smelled like, and discovered that I could see a type of aura.

Yaya had explained to me, one Guardian meeting a while ago, that there are different types of auras that display different things, and different people see different auras. Some auras tell levels of magic power something has. Some auras tell about feelings while others tell about family heritage or maybe even hobbies.

I didn't know what the auras I saw displayed to me. All I knew was that the Guardians and Ikuto and Miki, Ran, and Suu all had dark auras around them. The kind the scared me a little, and made me think they all had something to hide.

Pushing back such thoughts I reloaded my crossbow and shot again, this time at one of the right eyes. The creature screamed again. Suddenly I saw its aura. It was gray, laced with red.

I didn't see with my eyes so much as I saw it in my mind. I could just _tell_ that those were the aura's colors. There's no other way to describe it.

I leapt out of my hiding place an instant before the monster's spiked tail smashed a tree – that had been behind my head – into splinters. Abruptly the monster started running. Not running away as in fleeing, but it was running in a different direction as if something more interesting had come by.

I suddenly smelt a horrific aroma of death and blood. It was fresh and smeared with the smoggy, suffocating smell of greed. The thing's slimy head turned towards me yet again. Branches stuck from its mouth and an orange piece of fur stuck out from its lip. I realized – to my horror – it was a fox. I knew that I was right when I saw a single baby fox running for its life. The monster picked up a slow hairy leg and squashed the young pup. I almost screamed.

I had been warned not to let anything become personal by both Easter and Ikuto, but it was a baby fox for God's sake! That demon whatever needed to die for such a sin as killing a baby.

Gripping the hilt of my sword with a bone-crushing grip that made my knuckles white, I lunged. The sword sliced easily through one of the creature's spider legs. The hairy limb fell off and squirmed as if still alive while the horrible creature screeched with pain and irritation.

I just barely managed to dodge its jagged teeth. Jumping to the side I swiftly chopped off yet another leg. It too feels, and now the monster trembled as it tried to maintain balance. I backed away – out of reach from the hideous demon – to prepare to my next hit, but then I walked into a substance that smelt worse than manure and was sticky like glue. I realized I was caught in the giant thing's web. It was part spider after all. It made sense.

Holding back stink induced vomit, I fought against the web, struggling to angle my sword to cut the threads, but that just got me even more stuck. I stayed as quiet as possible. Yelling for help would make it kill me faster.

There was an ear splitting growl and a large furry shape collided with the shark/spider creature. The newest beast snarled menacingly, clawing and biting at the spider body until the thing stopped even writhing. The huge thing looked like a wolf, but was a little too big, and its eyes shone too bright. It barked something at the dead beast and looked towards me. He walked close enough to swipe his large paws at the web, causing it to break apart.

Freed from that death trap I had time to worry about the huge wolf that had come to my rescue. I wasn't about to trust the thing though. Animals didn't think like humans, so he might have been there to eat me.

I then noticed that the sun was rising. I gasped – if my parents went in my room before I got home then I'd have to answer some tough questions, or even worse, they might find all my weapons from Easter. My wolf rescuer looked in the direction I did and yelped. He stepped back, as if preparing to run away.

It was too late. Sunbeams gathered around him like a blanket. Wolf barks of defiance echoed around the forest. Slowly the wolf shifted into a human shape. Its fur turned to hair as its paws turned to hands and feet. Its ears and nose and jaw all became human and the tail shrunk into non-existence.

Kukai stood – naked and blushing – in front of me where the wolf had been. I don't know which thought occurred first, werewolf, Kukai, or naked. All I knew was that there was a naked werewolf named Kukai standing in front of me. I just stared, too shocked to turn away, though my cheeks reddened thoroughly.

Someone appeared behind me. I turned to see Yaya – she was shivering with fear and trying to avoid the fallen webs – holding Kukai's clothes. She shook her head.

"You couldn't have let someone else handle it. You couldn't even wait until you were at least _human_. You're a fool." Kukai didn't respond, and I didn't turn around to see his expression. Yaya passed me, then moments later the awkward silenced ended.

"Amu..." Kukai muttered hesitantly. I turned to face him, rage causing tears to stream down my face.

"You're a werewolf, and you couldn't _tell_ me that from the _beginning_!" I demanded, "It's not like I wouldn't have understood! What other monsters belong to your little group of Guardians? Is Yaya a werewolf too!? You. You. You!"

"Werewolf! You vial things!" Ran cried, just as enraged as I was, "You things are nothing but over sized flee bitten mongrels that belong in a pound! Your kind is the reason my brother is dead!" Ran had told me the whole story before. Her parents had been killed in an accident when trying to destroy a demon that had been possessing young girls – sucking the life force out of them, and then leaving them for dead to find a new host – and so Ran had gone with her brother to live with her aunt and uncle. But then a werewolf killed her brother, and soon after that Ran fell off that building and died herself.

"Amu-san, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Most people are scared of werewolves, and I didn't want you to be scared of me."

"Why the hell would I be scared of you!?" I demanded. Kukai had never been scary in his life, even if he could turn into a giant wolf. He was too funny and too nice and too close to what someone might call a friend for me to be scared of him. He shook his head, dead leaves and bramble fell from his mud crusted hair. He'd obviously been running in the forest.

"I don't think you should be scared of me. I'm not about to hurt anyone. Err. I did hurt you that one time though... But that was an accident! When people don't sneak up on me while I'm sleeping, they're perfectly safe. I'm not a monster for being a werewolf."

"I never said you were." I pointed out, "And you're right, you're scarier asleep than you are awake." Kukai laughed, walking towards me. Slinging his arm across my shoulders he cheered,

"Glad you think so!" His grin was huge, "'Cuz I really like you, Amu-chan!" I blushed at that comment, not sure if that meant he was in love with me or if he just thought I was cool enough to be his friend.

After school I got home, Ikuto was sitting at my desk watching the newest episode of Toradora. When I stepped through the door he became rigid. Turning around carefully he gazed at me with eyes that were almost frightened.

"What? I'd say you look like you've seen a ghost, but I don't think that phrase works in this situation." I chuckled at me own joke, dropping my back pack onto my bed.

"You smell of werewolf... Amu, why do you smell like werewolf!" Ikuto was across the room within seconds. His hands clenched around my wrists. I looked into his deep blue worried eyes, and they stared back with intensity.

"Amu, why do you smell like werewolf!" he repeated in a growl.

"I... met... a werewolf this morning during a mission." the look on Ikuto's face made me add quickly, "I had to kill a spider shark creature thing and then he came and saved me!"

"There's something else. Something you're not telling me." Ikuto glared.

"I... I know who the werewolf is in the Guardians. It was he who saved me..." I jumped into the whole story, explaining how I got stuck and how Kukai had saved me. Then I told him how the sun came up and Kukai transformed back into a human, and then Yaya came, and the truth was revealed.

Ikuto slapped his palm against his forehead. "You saw him phase back into a human then?" he muttered begrudgingly.

I blushed, "I take it you know that clothes just don't poof in and out of existence."

"You know it's typical of you..."

"What?" I questioned, that sounded more like an insult than a compliment.

"It's typical Amu to see a werewolf and not be scared in the least. You aren't scared of me so what makes a wolf any different?" I laughed even though his comment still sounded like an insult. Then the room grew quiet for a moment.

"I think I actually have a friend now," I murmured then added, "Besides you, I mean." Ikuto patted me on the back.

"It's good to make new friends." But I shook my head.

"Yet the only friend I want is my sister Dia."

**Author's Note: ...I don't really have any comments except that this chapter was too long, and it took too long to write. Sorry for not updating recently, I've had other stuff I've been working on.**


	10. A Partner

**Author's Note: Hi guys, I would have updated sooner except my computer broke T_T It still is broken except I managed to resurrect it for a little while so right now im like a chicken running around with its head cut off, so please excuse the delay x I know I suck! I really should update faster!**

Chapter 10: A Partner

I was on a mission, and – to Ikuto's discontent – it was a very dangerous mission. I'd been working for Easter for a month now. I'd also been with the Guardians and I'd kept the secret of Kukai being a werewolf. He and I worked together occasionally. I was surprised to learn that lycanthropy is like a disease and is spread through biting and scratching. When I heard this I was inspired to ask Ikuto about vampirism and it turns out vampires are more like a snake with venom covered teeth that paralyzes their victims, but a side affect is that if the vampire hasn't killed you by drinking all your blood then you become a vampire.

I was snapped from my thoughts about the differences between werewolves and vampires when a sudden jolt of pain shot down my spine. Then I felt the pain weighing my legs down. My legs became so heavy that I was unable to walk. There was no feeling of numbness, just heavy pain. The weight crept up into my stomach and I almost threw up. Then I had a vision.

At first it was just a greenish mist but then it became more than that. The mist grew into more of a gel substance and I could feel it – it was like slime and it oozed around me. Again I nearly threw up.

The pain had crawled into my arms by then and was working its way to my neck. I tried to scream but my vocal chords had already been paralyzed. Closing my eyes and relaxing my muscles, I tried to figure a way out of my paralysis. Then the slime became fog once more as I heard a ghoulish whisper. It was taunting me. Mocking cackles echoed in the confines of my head. Then my body was freed. It was so sudden I felt pained from the shock of it.

As soon as I was free I gripped my ears, in the back of my mind I realized it was not me doing this, but someone who was either dead or dieing. I knew that _I_ had never even stopped running. The ears of the dead person were drenched in blood as if they'd exploded. There were no ears anymore, just pain and holes in the side of the person's head. But the echoing crows of laughter could still be heard. The person shrank with fear while I bubbled over with anger and a longing for vengeance.

Then the person's entire face started to gush blood. Blood – thick and red and the signature of death – spewed from his eyes and flooded from his nose. He started drooling, but he did not drool saliva, it was –of course – blood.

Black filled the person's head, and I dimly felt just how heavy the darkness was. Suddenly there was searing, piercing pain that made me want to scream. I wanted to rip my hair from its roots and tear at my flesh. I wanted to disembowel myself just to distract my self from that one tiny moment of horrible pain.

Suddenly I was back on the sidewalk. I was running beside a long fence that caged in a construction sight. I shook my head to keep me focused, but my head felt heavy and numb from the vision. I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the biting cold of the midnight air. I was on my own that night because there was no moon and therefore no werewolf.

I reached to the hilt of my sword just to comfort myself. I might have been an Easter operative, and I might have visions of death, but I was still only twelve, and evil ghosts scared the fuck out of me.

That's what had killed that person, and that was my mission. It was a ghost that had gone rogue. It haunted anyone that passed by until the person was drowning in their own fear and blood.

I jumped the fence and ran through the gravel of the construction yard. With my hand hovering millimeters above my sword I dashed towards the smell of blood. It was thick and I could _feel_ an aura of fear surrounding me. It wasn't hard to find the body.

The blood had spread feet away from him. The victim had been a boy younger than me. His glasses were stained with blood and his school uniform told me not only that he'd been dieing since that afternoon or earlier, but he also went to my school. His hair was soaked with blood and his face was unrecognizable. I couldn't look. Tears filled my eyes and I struggled to find the will to keep them back.

A will for revenge surged through the essence of my being. I clenched my teeth together and whipped out my sword. As it sparked with magical energy, I searched the blackness for any sign of the evil ghost. My other hand grabbed at the latch in my belt pouch. Inside was a special elixir that I'd been given specifically for this mission. If I put it on my sword it would be able to kill the ghost, but it only lasted five to ten minutes.

A wicked snicker echoed around me. I started to see mist as a vision tried to overlap my normal vision. The ghost was trying to haunt me. It was really too bad that I was used to hauntings by now. Too bad for _it_ I should say.

"This isn't hide-n-go-seek bastard, now come out and face me if you're really such a powerful being!" The cackle grew ever louder, until the sound nearly crushed my eardrums.

I waited until I could smell blood that wasn't coming from the dead boy, and then speedily dumped the magic liquid over my sword. The mist that was trying to bury me evaporated. I knew that the ghost was trying to run. It was obviously no fool.

With long and fast strides I chased the ghoul until it was starting to flee up the side of one of the construction beams. After clicking my heals together – thus activating a magnetic mechanism in the bottom of my shoes – I dashed up the side of the beam, rushing after the thing. I could see it now. It glowed slightly red, but the night sky shone through its transparent body.

Cackling madly it rushed towards me. Though surprised by its swift suddenness I still hacked off a good chunk of the horrible ghost. Writhing with pain, it wrapped itself around my shoes. I heard a "click" as the magnets disabled and I hurtled towards the ground. I curled my head in and started somersaulting in mid air. The metal of beams grazed across my skin for a moment, but at that moment I uncurled myself and used my feet to push off from the beam. I was lucky that I wasn't too far from the ground by that point. My gloved hands skimmed the gravel and I pushed off the turf. After a second mid air somersault I landed in a crouch position on my feet.

The ghost's bloody smell told me that the ghost had stopped to watch me fall. I laughed with morbid humor as I thought of how disappointed it must be now. I jumped up, but once I did the ghost vanished. I followed its distinct scent around the soon-to-be skyscraper. But – to my misfortune – there was a ditch in my path.

I fell, hitting the ground hard. I knew I was going to be sore all over tomorrow. Looking up I realized the ditch's walls were twice my height. Gritting my teeth, I dug my hands into the soft dirt and tried to climb, but the ground gave way too easily and I fell on my butt again.

There was a terrible cry. It was like the daunting howl of a ghostly creature as it warded people from its favorite haunt. Swallowing, I wondered what had happened. Then I heard the unmistakable sound of human footsteps. They drew closer to me, and as they did I put my hand against the earthen wall and focused on the vibrations of each step. They were light and careful. I assumed the person approaching was a girl.

I saw a blonde girl about two years older than me peek over the rim of the hole. Her eyes glinted with humor, but she pressed her lips thin with disapproval. Offering me her hand, I was pulled from the ditch.

"You all right?" She interrogated. Her beautiful voice was stern.

"Yes." I answered. I curiously wondered who this girl was and why she was here. I had memory-erasing potion in my bag so I asked the most important question. If the girl had nothing to do with supernatural occurrences then I'd be able to erase her memory of my question, while if she was the ghost's new haunt I would get the chance to kill the ghost, and if she was part of Easter then I was going to find out someday anyway.

"What happened to the rogue ghost?" I inquired.

"I finished him off. He's gone for good now." answered the blonde girl. Her hair was in two extremely long pigtails and she was sickly thin. Her eyes were cold and blue. I looked at her uniform. It held the same cross-like symbol of Easter.

"You work for Easter too?" I wondered.

"Yes. If you are Hinamori Amu then I am your new partner." I gasped in surprise. I was not unhappy about having a partner; it was just unexpected is all.

"Right. Well good work with the ghost. I'll see you on our next mission." The girl – with a tired and bored look – waved a hand at me and walked away into the darkness. Suddenly I realized I was very cold. My sleeveless shirt and fingerless gloves may have been good for some things, but certainly not keeping me warm. I ran back to my house, wishing I knew what time it was.

I arrived back in my room well after midnight. I'd left when I'd gotten the call at ten. I changed back into my pajamas and was about to get back in bed when I notice Ikuto sitting on my porch. His eyes were closed and he was looking away. I blushed as it occurred to me that he had probably been there all along.

Sliding open the screen door I muttered,

"Perv." Ikuto looked up at me. With humor sparkling in his eyes he said with mock indignantly,

"At least I would check before changing if you showed up on my balcony everyday." he chuckled, then I noticed that his eyes flashed red.

"Are you thirsty?" I inquired in a growl. Ikuto looked away, but I knew he wasn't about to lie. With a sigh I got on my knees and shoved my wrist in his face.

"C'mon, I'm tired and I don't want to fight you on this." He carefully held my wrist, and with sharp nails, cut the skin like it was paper. While Ikuto drank my blood I nearly drifted to sleep which scared the living heck out of Ikuto, because when he was done he thought I was suffering from blood loss.

I yawned and crawled into my bed. Ikuto – maybe he was feeling grateful, or maybe he realized how cold I was – pulled my blankets around my shoulders for me. I whispered my thanks to him and dozed into a restless slumber.

The next morning I felt sweat on my forehead and Ikuto's arms wrapped around my in a steely grip. He had realized I was awake. Pressing his cheek to my neck he wondered,

"You had another bad dream didn't you." I was shaking. The dream had been worse than that horrible vision. I dimly remembered having seen the death of the evil ghost at some point in my nightmare, but I could no longer remember.

"Y-yeah." was my shaky reply.

"I don't like your missions, Amu, they practically scare you to death."

"I'm fine." I lied, getting out of bed. It was before sunrise. I groaned, I hadn't been sleeping for even four hours. I knew, after my nightmare, that I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, so I decided to take a quick shower.

When I came back Ikuto was gone. I shrugged it off. He did that sort of thing all the time. While I packed my bag for school my ghosts drifted into my sight.

"You had more visions last night didn't you?" Ran asked solemnly.

"I don't get why we have to haunt you," Miki grumbled, "You do a good enough job haunting yourself."

"Miki-chan, be polite, desu." Suu mumbled. Miki snorted.

"Oh!" I suddenly remembered that I had a partner for Easter, "I forgot to tell Ikuto-kun!"

"You forgot to tell him what?" Ran asked curiously.

"I got a partner for Easter!" I stated. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I decided I should feel happy, so I smiled lightly.

"Really? What's his or her name, desu?" Suu asked.

"Um... well she's a girl... two years older than me about... but I forgot to ask her name." I bit my lip, feeling like a retard.

At school Kukai sat with me and we ate lunch together. I felt sorry for Yaya, because he'd left her alone, but after a couple laughs with Kukai she was forgotten. While I nibbled on a sandwich Kukai devoured the contents of his bento box.

"Stho yoo haf a parthner nyow?" he asked with his mouth filled with rice. I'd told Kukai that I was part of Easter a long time ago. He was surprisingly okay with that, and he had even kept it a secret for me.

"Yeah, but I'm such an idiot, I didn't even ask her name." Kukai laughed.

"Smart." he commented.

"I just regret not having finished off that bastard myself." I muttered half-jokingly. Kukai burst into a second fit of laughter. After settling down a bit he mumbled,

"You're hilarious you know that?"

"Thanks, I'm sure all those creatures I've slaughtered think the same thing." I answered. He chucked,

"No I'm serious, you're really funny. I really like you."

"Eh?" I asked. Kukai leaned forward.

"I really like you, Amu-chan." I blushed crazily. His face was inches from mine. Suddenly he jolted back to his original sitting position, and watched me blush. He laughed, hitting his hand against the trunk of the tree.

"Um..." I didn't know what to make of what had just happened. Kukai's eyes became serious as he said,

"I just confessed to you Amu." I sat in silence. It wasn't as if no one had confessed to me before, its just no one had ever confessed to me the way Kukai had done. My eye twitched. Kukai could be insane sometimes.

The bell rang and I jumped to my feet.

"K-K-K-Kukai, I'm sorry, I'm going to be late for class! I can't give you an answer."

"Don't worry Amu, I don't need one." Kukai said, he stood up, "Just let me give you this. He grabbed my face between his strong hands and crushed his lips against mine. He let me go and strode away without another word. I stood there, and was ten minutes late for my next class.

When I arrived at home Ikuto was seated at the edge of my bed. He was sitting stiff as a board with his nose tilted in the air. He sniffed delicately. His eyes glittered with rage.

"You smell strongly of werewolf. What happened?" He stood up and walked closer to me. I could tell he knew exactly where the scent was the strongest. Blushing I looked down, scuffing my feet against the floor.

"K-K-Kukai he confessed to me... and he kinda kissed me... but I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say..." I mumbled wishing he wouldn't hear. There was a large snap as a chunk of my dresser fell away under Ikuto's mighty grip. I looked into his face, but found his eyes were shut tightly together and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

I bit down on my lip. I bit so hard that my lip started bleeding. Ikuto's eyes shot open. He advanced with supernatural speed. His face hovered an inch from mine. I stood perfectly still – like a stone statue.

"You said I could drink your blood when I'm thirsty, yes?" he questioned. I wondered if he was actually looking for an answer. By the tone of his voice I doubted it. Leaning even closer towards me, I felt his tongue lick the blood from my lip.

"Eep!" I squeaked with shock. Then his lips attached to mine. First he sucked on my lip, and then something distracted him from my blood. He started kissing me fervently. Then he jumped clear back across the room.

"Amu..." he muttered apologetically, but I didn't want an apology, it had been an amazing feeling. I remember Dia used to kiss boys. I had never understood why she wanted to, but now I did. Kukai had merely pressed his lips against mine, but Ikuto had _kissed_ me. With the passion of that kiss, I was a little surprised that he hadn't tried tongues; then again I was still young.

I gasped as my lip started to burn. I recalled that it stung when vampires sucked blood from someone. But then my whole mouth was burning. I realized this probably had something to do with the venom that passed on vampirism to humans.

Ikuto was across the room again. He hugged me closely, letting my headrest on his chest. I heard the slow beat of his vampire heart pick up. He sighed heavily,

"Amu, I'm not sure if this is right."

"What?" I asked. It felt perfectly right to me.

"I know you have feelings for Kukai. Or at least you will grow to have feelings for him. Give him your answer tomorrow, please don't take any of this in consideration." Was he saying to forget about him? How could I forget about Ikuto? Especially after the way he had kissed me.

"Ikuto..."

"I'm not saying I don't want this." his muscles tightened at his words, "Because, Amu, I do want it, but we're just going to put this on hold okay?"

"You mean pretend you never kissed me?" I asked distressed.

"N-no. Just let's not try to move any further in this relationship."

"A-alright." I agreed. Ikuto was very gentle when he wanted to be. His consideration for me seemed to have no limit. Ikuto put his head on my shoulder and let out a heavy sigh.

I woke up. Sun streamed through my window. I searched my room for Ikuto, but he was nowhere to be seen. The only evidence of the night before was the unlocked balcony and the covers on the other side of my bed that were tossed aside.

Sighing, I sat up. Suddenly pain shot through my neck and I became very cold. I wrapped my comforter around me and went to my mirror. On my neck I saw two little holes, like fangs had bit me there. I gasped. Looking into the mirror I saw a pale, red eyed, pink haired girl staring at me.

Then Ikuto was behind me. His breath made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Amu, you're a vampire now. Kukai can't have you. Only I can have you." he said.

Suddenly I jolted upwards. Clouds covered the sky and sweat dripped from my forehead. Ikuto had left. I closed my hand around my throat. It had just been a dream, but it had been an interesting one. I wondered if Kukai was planning to turn me into a werewolf, and then I thought about how I might like being a vampire more.

**Author's Note: LONG CHAPTER!!! AND THE EPICNESS CONTINUES**

**OMAHGOD IM SUPER PROUD OF THAT EVIL GHOST MURDER SCENE THINGY AT THE BEGINNING. TEEHEE EMO AWESOMENESS.**

**omahgod my computer just completely died so i got a new one. :D its shinee. its one of those new macbooks. its black and silver and yay!**


	11. A Guest

**Author's Note: Ok... This is embarrassing, but I think you all should know that I'm afraid of chapter 11. Not **_**this**_** chapter 11, but all chapter 11's. Because in sixth grade I sat next to this guy in science class and I was writing a story. I just started chapter 11 on the story when the guy looked over and saw I was writing something. Then he kept saying "Chapter 11, Chapter 11." he got the whole class saying that to me, it was so retarded. Long story short I got in trouble with the teacher T_T**

**Also right now I'm in a house with my friend and the power went out, and we're waiting for my mom to bring us to a different friend's house for our new horror movie night... IT'S FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH! – or at least it was when I started writing this.... :D I'm uncertain about what you'll think of this chapter... PLEASE REVIEW SO I KNOW!!!**

Chapter 11: A Guest

I ran to school. The wind blew past me in a rush and light rain sprayed my face. I entered the school grounds with an uncertain feeling. Would Kukai be waiting for me? Would he ditch today? Was this one of his jokes? I stopped to catch my breath. Breathing deeply I looked around myself, hoping Kukai would be waiting for me. I had an answer to his confession, and I wondered if I was making the wrong choice.

I was uncertain about what Ikuto had said though. He had told me to tell Kukai yes, but I wasn't in love. It wasn't even a crush kind of feeling. There wasn't a feeling of love with Ikuto either, though. My feelings were those that could someday become love.

There was no good reason for me saying yes to Kukai. I guess all that stuff with ghosts and vampires and werewolves and Easter made me more of a risk taker.

Then I saw Kukai. He was striding towards me, laughing. His eyes sparkled with joy and expectance when he saw me.

"Hey Amu-koi." He greeted.

"Hi..." I mumbled. I wasn't sure how to begin.

"You know," he remarked, "This would be the perfect time to give me an answer." I blushed, wondering if werewolves could read minds.

"Yes." I said simply. He smiled hugely, and pulled me into a tight hug. His lips moved onto my lips. The kiss was much better than the day before. It seemed he'd somehow realized he had Ikuto to compete with. I was well aware that both of them were in a contest for my love whether or not _they_ were aware of it themselves. Of course I was never going to tell them I knew, the fact scared me in a way no ghost or supernatural monster ever could.

A week later I had another mission. Recently I'd been on the lookout for stray souls – hoping they were Dia. That day I was meeting my partner for the second time to dispose of a gargoyle. It was nesting on an office building and had killed several cleaning crew people as well as a manager and his secretary.

"You've arrived," commented my blonde partner. Her long hair was tied in long pigtails at the side of her head. She wore a short black dress with long sleeves and a poofy skirt that I was sure hid a gun.

"Yeah." I breathed, gripping my knees. I'd sprinted five miles to get there, and to add to that I'd already been out jogging when I'd gotten the call. On my run over to the agreed upon meeting area – the mouth of an alley at the side of the victimized building – I'd commanded myself to find out my partner's name. I felt so lame, still not having learned her name.

She was leaning against the wall of the restaurant that was next to the building. Looking up at the roof of the office she said,

"We should get moving. It's almost feeding time for that thing and if some idiot goes out there another life will be lost." I smiled to myself at her remark. It felt good to know I wasn't the only one in Easter who cared about people's lives.

"I'll get up there via the building, you mean while," she handed me a harness and a grappling hook, "you'll be scaling the wall. Try not to get yourself hurt."

"Uh... thanks..." she said. Her sudden lack of care took me by surprise.

As she walked away she said, "And by the way, my name's Utau."

_Utau... Where have I heard that name before?_ I wondered as I fumbled with the harness. _Oh well._ I put the grappling hook into – I'll use the technical names – the grappling hook gun thingy.

I pulled the trigger. The hook shot up and I heard a distant clamor as metal caught onto the metal fence lining a veranda. I pulled the chord, testing its stability. I affirmed it would hold my weight and began to ascend.

Avoiding windows best I could and staying as close to the wall as possible I slowly rose up the side of the building. Even though I wore my gloves I still slipped a couple times. I thanked whatever deity that watched over me for the harness. Suddenly I saw Ran, Miki, and Suu appear. They greeted me explaining that they were bored.

Eventually it got so tiring, climbing up the building while carrying a bag of weapons – I even chose the lighter ones for this – that I told them to just talk to me. Whatever came to their minds I wanted them to say.

Suu started with questions about Dia. I'd figured she'd been wondering about her for a while, and didn't ask because she wasn't sure how I would take it.

"Dia and I were like twins. Even though she was much older than me she still cared about me. I think I annoyed her a little, but she still loved me. I love her and when... when she died it killed me. It killed everyone who knew her." I paused to catch my breath, "Ungh" I muttered as I forced myself to continue the long climb. I wished I could just fly.

"Dia was the best singer in the world. She'd always loved singing and she dreamed of being a superstar ever since before I was born. From the time I was small I wanted to do everything in my power to get her to the top."

"So you aspired to be your sister's assistant?" Miki asked, her tone was almost scornful, but I could tell she was being careful with what she said. Miki had become... nicer... as she came to know me.

"No." I shook my head, "But I did want to help her. When I was small, six or seven I think, Dia started teaching me to play the piano." I smiled at the memory. I'd been dreadful at first, but Dia never once gave me grief or gave up on me. She kept teaching until I was good. But when she died I couldn't even look at the piano anymore. It was _the_ single most treasured memory I had of Dia."

"...Amu-chan..." Ran mumbled, pity layered thick in her voice.

"You can see why I had to wish for her to come back. You can see how I wish with all my heart to see her again!" I said quickly. I needed them to understand because I knew I was the reason these three were dead, and so I wanted them to know I had a good reason.

_But what makes your wishes better than theirs?_

I gasped. I usually didn't hear voices in my head and I was pretty sure that wasn't a good thing. I shook me head, and continued with what I was saying,

"I wished for that for Dia! She deserved her wish to come true!" Miki sniffed scornfully,

"I think I finally know why you have _three_ ghosts, Amu." she muttered. I tilted my head.

"Really?" I was interested in Miki's hypothesis.

"Well, you wished for Dia to come back to life, that's one death, and then – to go along with the first – you wished for Dia's dream to come true, one dream come true is another coming to and end, that's another life, and finally those two were _your_ heart's desires so there's another life taken." I stopped, frozen. After a moment I laughed.

"Amu-chan!" Suu gasped. The thought of someone laughing at death was like swearing in Suu's book.

"I never realized Miki was that smart is all." I laughed again. Miki had always struck me as a moody teenager; I hadn't realized she was so into logical thinking.

There was a scream like a banshee. A stone head peeked from over the veranda's edge. It squealed again. Then two stone arms gripped the side of the building. Stone wings spread out from beside the creature and with its arms it pushed off, hurtling towards me. I screamed.

Thinking fast I started swinging back and forth. I took from my pack a magical dagger. As the creature zeroed in on me I pushed off the wall with my feet and used the blade to slice one of the thing's talons off. Its pain distracted the thing enough for my to swing up towards an open window and undo my harness.

The creature shook itself and tried to locate me once more. With its vulture eyes it located me with ease and started after me again. I looked up. Above my head was the ladder-like fence surrounding the veranda I'd been climbing towards. I grabbed one of the rungs and heaved myself onto the tiled surface just before the gargoyle crashed into the window I'd just been standing at.

It flew into the sky again, trying to find me. I rushed towards the office door only to find Utau rushing outside.

"What the hell, Hinamori?" she demanded pointing her gun at the on-coming beast. She grumbled something under her breath and then pulled her trigger. A humanoid, furry blur shot through my field of vision and saved the gargoyle from Utau's bullet. Kukai, or mostly wolf Kukai stood in front of us gripping the bullet in his talons. It wasn't silver so it wouldn't hurt him. He glared at Utau, but then froze when he saw me.

I heard a chorus of voices from the other side of the veranda. The Guardians were coming! Kukai knew that it was dire for me to not be found out. He acted quickly. Twirling around he slapped the stunned gargoyle in the face. It screeched and started attacking him.

While that went on Utau grabbed my hand and led me off the platform. We hurtled to the ground. Miki, Ran, and Suu flew close behind. Before hitting the ground Utau grabbed the rope belonging to my grappling hook. I gasped as we stopped falling so suddenly. Utau had amazing strength.

She jumped onto a near-by windowsill and then onto the lid of a dumpster and finally landed gracefully on the ground. She looked up expectantly, waiting for me. I tried my best to replicate her grace, but failed miserably. I slipped when I hit the windowsill and fell into an open dumpster.

When I got home I headed straight for my shower and then got into my room, sighing because I had too much homework. My only compensation was the full piggybank the sat next to my bed. I smiled to myself as I patted my hair dry with a towel. Ran, Miki, Suu, along with Yoru floated through my bedroom wall.

"Amu..." Ran began with a tone that can only be described as bewildered.

"There's... There's..." Suu added.

"There's a ghost in your kitchen." Yoru and Miki finished the sentence together. I went stiff,

"What?"

"There's a ghost. In your kitchen. It's helping your mom do the dishes..."

"WHAT!?" I gasped, horror-struck. My mother could see ghosts? That didn't make sense.

"Well... its drying the dishes while they sit on the drying rack... I think it just wants to help." Suu said. Her sweetness sickened me. I grabbed my gun,

"Or it wants to kill my mother!"

"Well, see what he wants before you kill him!" Ran squealed.

"Fine." I grumbled throwing my gun onto my dresser.

I stalked downstairs, using my several months of Easter training. My feet barely uttered a whisper as I stepped cautiously down the carpeted stairs. I crouched low and breathed slowly. When I entered the kitchen I saw the ghost. His hair was crazily messed and he wore glasses. Suu had been right; he was helping my mom. While she loaded the dishes onto the drying rack the ghost would put his hand over the dish and all the water would disappear from its surface.

At first it didn't pay any mind to me, but as I continued to glare at it from my crouch position on the kitchen floor, he turned to see me. His ghostly eyebrows shot up when he realized I could see him. I smirked and motioned him over to me.

He hovered over to me, I sat down in the living room and turned on the TV so it would seem like I was doing something normal.

"Three questions," I muttered, "Who are you? Why are you here? And why are you helping my mom with the dishes?"

The ghosts chuckled, "You talk the talk, and with the way you got to the kitchen without anyone knowing, I'd say you walk the walk as well."

"Answer the question." I commanded under my breath.

"Sure. Sure." The ghost shrugged, "My name is Nikaido Yuu, and I'm here because I sensed there were ghosts near-by, and all ghosts like company."

"Very true." Miki agreed.

"And?" I demanded at Nikaido.

"Well, I did note that you're room is filled with Easter equipment, but with the aura of ghost clinging to this place like dust I assumed you wouldn't harm me."

"Easter?" I gasped, "You know about Easter?" Nikaido nodded.

"I work there... err... well I did until my lab blew up."

"W-what were you working on?" I wondered.

"I... I can't really remember... The explosion didn't kill me right away – at least I don't _think_ it did. There's this blurry memory... I think I was in a hospital, and this man, he was saying something about damage to the brain... and then the Embryo was in front of me saying I couldn't go to the afterlife until I've completed what I need to have done. But until then I have to haunt people." Nikaido frowned.

Questions filled my head. My ghosts had mentioned the Embryo before, I'd even heard the Guardians talking about it once or twice, but I hadn't really ever cared enough to ask about it. I ignored his comment about afterlife and brain damage and decided to hold back about my question on haunting. No there was a different question I wanted to ask Nikaido.

"What do you need to complete to go to the afterlife?" I demanded.

"I- I don't know. I think I have to figure that out on my own. The Embryo doesn't seem to like fair trades."

"And haunting? What's the deal with haunting?"

"It's hard to explain. Ghosts are forced to haunt people when they can't reach the afterlife for some reason. Most of the time it's like community service, you know paying a debt to society." I nodded seriously,

"I see..." Just then I could sense a presence. It was Ikuto's. I was so used to it by then I _knew_ it was Ikuto though there was no new detectable scent or aura, I just felt his presence as if he were breathing down my neck. I had an urge to run to him. To just make a mad dash for my room and launch myself into his arms.

Controlling this insane urge I said to Nikaido, "You can stay here for a while then... make yourself at home." Nikaido smiled,

"Thank you. I'll help your mother with chores. I like her you know, she's a kind woman."

"Yeah... I guess she is." I answered vaguely as I quickly made for the stairs.

In my room, Ikuto was sitting on the floor, his back against my bed. His eyes were carefully smug to go along with his teasing smirk. He held out his hand as a sign that he wanted me to join him. I happily sat down, relaxing with an audible sigh. My room was cozy, pleasant except for the chill brought on by the presence of ghosts.

With a jolt I was reminded of my loads of homework. I jumped up, all bliss fading from my mind, and grabbed my backpack. Digging for my binder, my agenda, my math notebook, while scanning my room for any textbook I could find – my room, unlike the rest of the house, was messy wreckage.

When I opened my math notebook I realized all the problems had already been done. I knew instantly why that was, but I froze for a moment, marveling at Ikuto's attention to detail. He had mimicked my handwriting perfectly and he even organized the pages the way I would. Not only that – smiled as I noticed this – but he also got some of the problems wrong, even the easy ones. I sighed, it was normal for me to not get problems right, but we were actually starting on a subject I knew which was why I could note Ikuto's errors.

"Thank you." I murmured with gratitude like no other filling my heart. His smirk turned into a light smile for a moment,

"You'll find the rest of your homework has been completed too." he remarked, I nodded my head and thanked him again. Then I sighed and sat back down. Ikuto's arm hugged my shoulders.

"There's another ghost in this house." I said, breaking the silence, "He says he used to work for Easter. Have you ever heard of a Yuu Nikaido?"

"Nikaido? Really? Nikaido-san died?" Ikuto was shocked, then he shook his head solemnly, "He worked in the labs, didn't do any field work... until just before Easter started going after me."

"He said he doesn't remember much except for his lab blowing up." I murmured.

"Hmm... Easter, what are you doing now?" he wondered quietly. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear that. I shuddered, not wanting to know or think about Nikaido-sama anymore. With slow, careful breathes, I stood up and got into my bed – my mind and body felt fatigued and my head felt stiff as if another vision were coming. I groaned, a barely audible whisper, and mumbled,

"Ikuto, a vision's coming." He sat perfectly still for a long moment. I didn't realize I wasn't breathing until I gasped for air when he finally shifted. He turned around and smiled sympathetically at me. Getting up with the grace of a hawk flying large circles in the sky, he laid down next to me.

"You want me to stay?" he asked quietly.

Blushing I admitted, "yes."

He hugged me close to him and kissed my forehead,

"Goodnight Amu-chan."

I opened my eyes to a new day. I was shaking; an image of sparks surrounded by choking thick smoke and explosions. My mind was not spinning, but instead it was so clear. Everything in my head was quiet and organized, I understood how Nikaido had died, and I knew it had been Easter who sabotaged his lab. I also had seen a face in my vision. It was the clearest thing about the vision and yet it was not part of what had happened as Nikaido died, it wasn't even like a memory. I saw the face of a young woman. She wore glasses, had brown hair, and her smile was soft.

_I'll go crazy if this goes on._ I thought to myself. Still shaking I looked to my left, seeing Ikuto had not left me. In fact he was sleeping soundly beside me. He seemed so innocent when he was sleeping, except for his scent you would think he's an ordinary human. She was glad it was a weekend and – stealing a look at the clock – happily saw it was only seven. My parents wouldn't mind it if I slept in – not that they would pay attention either way.

I snuggled closer to Ikuto trying to push back the sudden jolts of fear that had been pulsing in me since I woke up. Nikaido, I had the feeling, had more to his past than anyone thought, and as I drifted back into sleep I realized it might be dangerous to allow him to stay in my house.

When I woke up I heard Ikuto's voice, he was murmuring sweetly. I kept my eyes closed as I listened. He was fondling the side of my face, occasionally pushing locks of my pink hair behind my ear or brushing the back of his hand against my forehead.

"Do you always do that when I'm sleeping?" I ask incredulously. I heard the shuffle of my bed covers and the brush of air. Ikuto's presence moved slightly farther away.

I opened my eyes; he was leaning against my dresser. He smiled, but if I looked closely I could see embarrassment in his eyes,

"Good morning!" He said cheerily. I half smiled as I got out of bed. Glancing at the clock I sighed. It was 11:30; the day was nearly half over and I'd only just gotten up. I was about to go take a shower when I heard my cell phone's high ringing. I flipped it open,

"Hello?"

"Hinamori Amu, your partner went to dispose of a troll, turns out it wasn't just some stray, and now she's dealing with a whole clan of trolls! Go and help her out!"

"I'm on my way!" I replied. I quickly got changed and grabbed my sharpest, strongest weapons while explaining to Ikuto,

"My partner needs help taking down a troll clan, I'll see you tonight."

"WHAT? A _clan_ of trolls?" Ikuto grabbed my wrist.

"So?"

"Average troll clans have around a hundred to a hundred fifty trolls! You'll get killed." I glared at Ikuto.

"Well what do you want me to do? My partner's out there! You want me to let her die?"

"No, but I don't want you to go on a suicide mission!"

"Then what do you suggest I do?" I demanded harshly. Ikuto took a step back, but kept a firm hand on my wrist. His eyes darted around my room as he thought, and then he said,

"Why not trick the Guardian's into helping?"

**Author's Note: This chapter will end up having several parts T_T because its too loooooooooooooooooooooong!**

**XD PLEASE REVIEW SORRY FOR BEING SO LAZY AND NO UPDATING!!!!!**

**Amu: Yeah really, what the hell?**

**Author: Mental vacation!**

**Ikuto: Can I kiss Amu some more?**

**Author: All in good time Ikuto-kun**

**Amu: Do I have a say in this?**

**Ikuto/Author: No**

**Tadase: You can always kiss me Amu!**

**Amu: Wow, you're still alive?**

**Ikuto: Yeah you like don't appear at all in this fanfic!**

**Author: GET BACK IN THE CORNER TADAGAY NO ONE WANTS YOU!!!!**

**Amu/Ikuto: ...YAY!!!**


	12. A Troll Clan

**Author's Note: You will be blown away by this chapter! There is so much frickin drama in this chapter you might wet your pants.**

**You'll laugh**

**You'll cry**

**And you'll probably flame me for what I'm about to do!**

**You are about to read a chapter so dreadful and yet awesome that those of you with weak constitutions might want to walk away **_**right**_** now!**

**-please note that these events are essential to the plot, and you should NOT hate me for life- Explanations on bottom Author's Note, if you read those before this chapter the chapter **_**will**_** be spoiled! And the awesomeness **_**will**_** decrease!!!! SO NO BEING STUPID! READ THE CHAPTER! (sorry im very obsessive over this chapter!!!! it took FOREVER!!!!!)**

Chapter 12: A Troll Clan

"Why not trick the Guardian's into helping?"

"Huh?"

"Kukai has helped you out before – only right since you're his girlfriend – so you can get him to help you deceive the Guardians!" I shook my head,

"Why would I get them involved in this? They'll know I'm an Easter agent!"

"Depends." Ikuto shrugged, "All you have to do is alert them of rampaging trolls..."

"But they'll try to protect the trolls!"

"Not if they think they're going to hurt others!"

"...but..."

"It'll work!

"What about you?" I wondered. I knew how protective Ikuto could be sometimes and I wasn't sure if he planned to help or not.

"I'll... I'll have to sit and hope for the best." Ikuto muttered.

"It's for the best, you can't let Easter find you." I sighed, clutching his hand. I kissed his fingers gently,

"Thanks for worrying about me."

"Uh... no problem." he replied as I started out the door. After changing into normal clothes (couldn't have the Guardians seeing my Easter uniform) I raced towards the location that Easter had texted me. Once I was almost there I dialed Kukai's phone.

"Moshi-moshi!" a girly voice that was not Kukai's answered,

"Nagihiko? What are you doing with Kukai's phone?"

"Amu-chan! Psh! I just happened to grab it first is all, so I'm guessing you want to talk with Kukai..." Nagihiko sighed, "Why can't you flirt with _me_ for once?"

"Because Kukai, _my boyfriend_, isn't bipolar." I heard Nagihiko's amused chuckles grow distant and then Kukai's handsome voice reached my eardrums.

"Amu-koi? Wazzup?"

"Kukai, go into a different room or something ok? I just want to talk to you."

"Err... right..." Muffled foot steps echoed through the phone and then Kukai whispered,

"What did you need to say?"

"Easter sent me on a mission Kukai... but my partner and I can't handle it on our own... we're fighting a clan of trolls..."

"WHAT!?" I heard the clamor of something breaking and then Yaya and Nagihiko's voices,

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Err... I... I stubbed my toe!" was Kukai's reply.

"Easter sent you to disband a _clan_ of trolls!?" Kukai gasped.

"Yes. I need the Guardians, Kukai!"

"If they help they'll know you're part of Easter!"

"If they don't help I'll be dead."

"If they _do_ help you're dead!" he protested.

"It doesn't matter because we don't have to tell them anything about Easter, Iku- _I! _I came up with this plan that might work! The trolls are in the general direction of the school so if we say Easter sent trolls after us would it really be that hard to believe?"

"...That's not a bad idea..." Kukai agreed, "But I still don't like this."

"I know... I'm sorry Kukai."

"Ok, I'll tell them and we'll be there soon, so don't get hurt! Please Amu! Don't get yourself hurt!"

"I won't. And Kukai, thank you." I heard a "click" and started running towards the troll clan again.

When I was close I could definitely smell the musky stench of troll that made my eyes water and nose run. Some large, thick hided limbs lay strew across the vast expanse of land that had probably been home to the trolls. This place had some construction here and there, a free way overpass a mountainside forest, and a small cul-de-sac in the far reaches of this mostly empty, gigantic field filled with tall grasses, wheat, and over grown weeds.

Trying to quickly observe my surroundings as well as keep my guard up for trolls _and_ the Guardians, I scouted for Utau. I could barely pick up traces of her aura and her scent but there was something off about it. The changes were similar to those from a healthy child to a sick child or a sober man to a drunken man, the auras and scents were off enough that I could tell something was wrong.

I tracked the scent and the aura. The further I went the more I saw troll limbs and the occasional weapon and disembodied head. I shivered. My nightmares would be filled with those things tonight.

Suddenly Utau's trace was lost all together. I retraced my steps to see if I missed something then I even paced up and down places that weren't even strewn with troll, but still nothing.

"Amu-chan!" I heard Ran's voice squeal.

"Eh? You guys! And Nikaido!" was my shocked reply as my ghosts and Nikaido floated over to me.

"Trolls are dangerous Hinamori-san," Nikaido scolded, staring into his ghostly eyes I felt for a single moment that this man was not a bad guy, "Easter... what are they planning? They must have known there was a troll clan here! It's really hard to miss! Surely they had a division that made sure the public didn't find out about these things!" Nikaido rubbed his chin thoughtfully and his eyes became distant.

"Amu! If you want to find Utau we'll need to let you borrow our power!" Miki suggested.

"What? You can do that? How?" I was too amazed to wonder how their power would help me find Utau. There wasn't time to waste walking around aimlessly.

"We'll have to 'possess' you." Ran explained hesitantly, she clearly didn't like the idea, "Since I have experience with this I guess I'll go first..." she offered.

"Uh... ok." I agreed but Ran was already fading out it seemed like she was disappearing.

"Ran!" Suu's voice called. For a moment I was blind. I couldn't see anything, and then memories flashed in front of my eyes like a sped up digital picture frame.

Suddenly I could hear Ran's voice in my head,

"Ok Amu, you are now possessed! You'll gain some of my ghostly powers! Now let's find Utau-chan!"

"She's probably this way," Suu murmured. I blinked,

"How can you tell?" I wondered.

"Look closer Amu! Can't you see all that red?"

"What red? What are you talking about?"

"Ran! Give up on that idiot. She obviously can't use Spirit powers!"

"That's too harsh Miki-chan!" Suu complained, "Amu, anyone connected so closely to the world of Spirits can see where the Spirit world and Human world clash. So that's what you're looking for: a disturbance in your world."

"...'kay" I closed my eyes then opened expecting some kind of giant wormhole in the universe. There was nothing. I blinked slowly, and when I opened my eyes I could kind of make out something wrong with the air, but when I focused on it I lost it.

"Use _my_ eyes Amu-chan!" Ran's echoic voice insisted. I chewed my lip; I was losing precious time! Finally I closed my eyes and focused on Ran's essence that lay in the back of my head. It was pink and bright, that presence. When I opened my eyes I saw it. It was like someone taken a magic marker and drawn a red line through the air.

"That'll lead straight to Utau! You know there's something wrong with that girl, to be so close to the Spirit world as to make that disturbance! What is she getting at?" Miki muttered darkly, but I wasn't listening. I was in awe about this Spirit world way of tracking! It was so much better than auras.

"Mind you only Spirit world things make these kind of impressions in your world." Suu commented to me as I ran, my backpack of weapons getting heavier by the minute.

I leapt over a large boulder with ease and on the other side I could make out Utau's slender figure. Her long blond hair billowed in the wind; there was nearly no trace of her original aura though. It was like she was an entirely different thing only using Utau's body.

Utau trust a large scythe through a large yellow troll's stomach, then used the staff part of the weapon as leverage to kick another's jaw so hard it shattered with a deafening crack. Blood poured like a red waterfall from the thing's mouth and then I saw something white escape from it. It was just a wisp, but it scared me. Once I saw it I suddenly had images of pain and blood. I tasted iron in my mouth as if it had been I who had just puked blood.

"Amu, don't look so shocked!" Miki scoffed, "Every living thing has a Spirit within them! Sometimes even nonliving things do to so don't act so surprised!" I shook myself when she completely her sentence and closed my agape mouth.

"Yaya has enough magic that she'll be able to find me, I'm sure. And it's not too far from a full moon, so Kukai's werewolf senses won't be too bad even though it's daylight." I commented mostly to myself. Nikaido, who had followed along until now, hung back to observe as I ran forward to help Utau.

With practiced ease I took two curved blades from my pack. They almost created disks they were so curved, and on the inside of the circles that they formed was a handle for me to grip. I liked these weapons because, not only were they interesting but they were like throwing knives, ninja stars, boomerangs, and potentially nunchucks all at once.

I tossed one at the half dead troll the loomed over Utau. The blade spiraled gracefully through the air and neatly cut through the thick troll hide and through the muscles, tendon, and bone until the things head came off completely. It fell backwards dead just as my blade curved back and I caught it –fumbling slightly.

Utau wrenched her scythe from the creature's belly and shot me an angry glare.

"You should have come sooner bitch!" She called. Her high, remarkable voice was tainted with raw hatred.

"Don't worry Utau..." I answered hastily, "I got help coming." Utua snorted as she wiped the blood from her shiny blade with a stained cloth.

"It better not be _Easter_ help. I've had enough with their interference!" _Interference?_ I questioned, but didn't get a chance to ask aloud because just then a hoard of trolls came charging into view. Their steps made the earth vibrate and their scratchy voices reminded me of a dieing elephant. Their skins ranged from yellow to green and they all towered at least six feet above my head.

"Amu! Get the retractable staff from your bag! Hurry!" Ran's voice ordered in my mind.

"But I've never been good with that thing!" I protested.

"It doesn't matter, you're going to be borrowing my skills! Now detach your Spirit from your body so I can take the controls!" As a fiddled with the catches on my bag to find my retractable staff I focused on detaching mind from body.

In my possessed state it was easier than I thought, and felt much like going into a dream. And then I saw out my eyes without feeling them there. My arms moved by themselves. I jumped up abruptly, spinning in the air, lashing out with the staff.

I kicked a female troll's forehead forcefully and used it as a springboard to leap into the middle of the mob. After stabbing one troll hard on the side of the head just bellow the ear it fell over dead. My body didn't stop to watch the thing's Spirit leave the Human world; it whirled around and smacked another on the shins, knocking it over. The process continued, and very little blood was spilled from my victims. Utua's victims though, I could not say the same.

My body was shaking a drenched with sweat, I realized Ran could no longer maintain control on it. Like the snapping of a stretched rubber band I reentered the consciousness of my body, and I saw a worn out, nearly invisible Ran floating exhaustedly next to me.

Groaning, I tried to get up. All my muscles ached and the staff slipped in my sweaty palms. My hair lay limp and wild on my head.

"DIE BASTARDS!" To my relief I heard a familiar voice shout.

"Kukai!" I rasped, seeing my boyfriend's figure land –accompanied by the smashing sound a troll skull – many yards away from me.

"Amu-koi!" Kukai smiled hugely, "Need help? You look awful." I didn't have the energy to retaliate. I gasped for air, my lungs screamed at my "Oxygen! Oxygen!" as my heart pumped like a rampaging wild boar. Suddenly a troll smashed a club onto Kukai's shoulder. I screamed from surprise and terror. Kukai grunted with effort as he wrestled with the hideously tall foe.

"Nagihiko! Help Amu! NOW!" Kukai yelled: his voice distorted with the effort and pain of fighting with the multiple beasts. I glimpsed Nagihiko dashing to my side. He gently wiped some sweat from my forehead and then swooped my into his arms, I gasped.

"Amu! You're body is too weak right now! You need to rest!"

"Ugn! NO!" I struggled free and landed face first onto the dry turf.

"Amu-chan..." Nagihiko mumbled. I turned angrily to face my bipolar friend,

"Don't pretend to care so much about me! I know all you really want is to fight! So GO! JUST GO!"

"...Ok... but don't get yourself killed." Nagihiko ran away. As he did I saw flashes of some powerful magic in his aura. _I've never noticed that before._ My eyebrows rose incredulously.

I lay limp for many minutes watching as the battle raged. By my calculations we'd only manage to kill two dozen while injure and/or stun another dozen and if this clan was 150 trolls like Ikuto said then I had a feeling this was only the first round.

Again I attempted to get up, but my muscles protested with pain like a wildfire and I feel back onto the ground, most of my view blocked again by the tall weeds and half-dead grass.

"I need more strength." I whispered, "If only I were stronger... Dia always said I had a radiance in me that could make blind men see. She said I had the strength to do anything. I think she was wrong."

"NO! That's bad Amu-chan! Don't say such things!" Suu whimpered, "Your sister meant what she said, I just know it!"

"Thank you for saying so Suu, but what good are words now? I can't even get up let alone fight! My body's too weak!"

"Idiot! Then absorb the power from somewhere else! Everything can do that, even human bodies." Miki rolled her eyes.

"But how do I do that!" I spat impatiently.

"Well... there's blood all over! You could try that!"

"Do you mean _drink_ blood? I'm not a vampire!" I shuddered at the thought of drinking someone's blood. It was gross!

"Of course I don't mean drink it! You just need to absorb the energy from it!" I didn't reply though Miki's harsh tone pissed me off. I could hardly get to my knees so I settled for crawling towards a pool of blood that streamed from a dismembered troll body.

I sat cross-legged in front of the blood, focusing with what little of a sixth sense I had on the energy of that blood. My breathing came quicker and shallower as my heart racing quickened. I was losing my grip on consciousness. _Passing out is not an option! You need to do this! You put everyone in jeopardy for this!_ I nagged at myself.

Suddenly power surged through my body. My muscles loosened and relaxed as the energy coursed up and down my veins. I got up carefully, and turned towards the battle that still went on with crushing sound and enough corpses to fill a graveyard. After a quick scan of the area I was relieved no one of my friends was dead. When I saw Tadase fighting alive as ever I shrugged indifferently.

I started to turn away, but something about Tadase's aura caught my eye. It was different, more commanding and impressive. It was the kind of thing where a simple human would call him intimidating. The aura also seemed aged and when I looked closely it was as if it were bloodstained. I shook my head. _You must be seeing things again._

Running in the direction of Kukai and Yaya, I basked in my newfound energy. Yaya glared into the face of an especially large troll. Kukai was hanging back and watching.

"Kukai!" I skidded to a halt in front of him, he gripped my arm,

"Are you okay, Amu?" he inquired at once.

"I'm fine, but what about Yaya? She hates supernatural things!" Kukai chuckled,

"She simply finds them scary, but not because she's afraid for herself, she's afraid for my sake..." he looked deep into my eyes, "Our family was killed by a werewolf attack, Amu, and I became a werewolf. Yaya was saved because of her sixth sense, but ever since she's been terrified something will happen to me."

"But you're a werewolf! You can protect yourself!" I insisted, I didn't like this talk of death. _I'd known Kukai's family was dead, but because of a werewolf attack? Why?_

"Well... I don't like to talk about this, but I wasn't the only one to become a werewolf instead of die. My father and one of my brothers turned into a werewolf too, as well as Yaya's little brother, but my father died in an accident – he fell off a cliff, my brother got hit by a car, and Yaya's little brother was stung to death by a hoard of bees..." I gasped, my eyes watering.

"That..." I started, but Kukai shushed me; he then pointed at Yaya.

"Watch!" I glanced over at her. The energy around her was sparking as if filled with electricity. Her brown hair flailed wild as if blown by tornado winds. Suddenly she thrust her hand forward and the troll was knocked backwards by an invisible force. She made an odd sign with her hand and the air around her head crackled with the sound of lighting. What then appeared around her I didn't expect, especially after hearing about her brother's death. A monstrously huge swarm of bees buzzed above Yaya's head. The noise they made caused my ears to hurt.

"Ooh, bees, she's really pissed." I heard Kukai comment from beside me. I looked carefully, and could just barely see Yaya's profile through her crazily blowing hair. Angry tears were streaming down her face.

I didn't want to watch. I didn't want to see all that anger and hatred distort Yaya's adorable face, so I twisted around and spotted a troll coming towards Nagihiko. Leaping easily in front of the creature I swung my sword from its sheath and stabbed. The blow barely penetrated the thing's tough yellow skin.

I backed up and readied myself to strike again when Nagihiko jumped over me and chopped off the troll's ear with an incredibly sharp pike.

"I'll kill you and all your family! DIE BASTARD DIE!" He yelled, chopping off the other ear neatly. When Nagihiko landed on the grass again he turned around, and his eyes suddenly became pained,

"I'm sorry I had to do that! Forgive me! As you protect your clan I must protect my friends!" as he said this, his voice became somehow girlie. I started backing up slowly again.

"Hinamori-san behind you!" Tadase roared. I turned around just in time to see a troll swipe a large tree branch at my head. An odd sound echoed behind me. It was like a thousand tiny soup bubbles popping near simultaneously. Purplish light shone from with in the dead tree limb and it exploded into splinters. Then there was a sound like someone tapping a cymbal over and over and the troll's skin started to bubble over as if were boiling. I gasped, horrified by the spectacle. The troll utter one thunderous growl of pain and then it flopped over dead, its skin swollen and wart covered.

Taking another step back I bumped into Nagihiko. I heard his heavy panting breathes. I spun around and stared at him,

"Did you do that?" I inquired, shocked. He obviously didn't have the energy to speak, but he did nod. Then he started coughing. It was a terrible cough that seemed to drag on and on. I didn't have time to help Nagihiko though. As I had thought, another wave of trolls were heading for us, their manner somehow more careful and thoughtful than the others'.

I didn't waste time; Easter had long before taught me that wasting time wasn't an option. Readying my sword, I took an protective stance in front of Nagihiko. Though Nagihiko scared me, and though he could be a little odd, he still didn't deserve to die. The sound of Nagihiko's cough was lost in the now tremendous roar of the troll's feet.

"Tadase," Kukai's voice was cracked with exhaustion, "can't you do something? Yaya's powers won't be able to protect everyone, and Nagihiko used too much energy! TADASE!"

"I could do something if you wanted us to die along with the trolls!" Tadase growled in reply. Utua came over to me. Her hair, her outfit, her scythe, her skin, everywhere was stained with blood.

"Amu, what are you doing?" She asked condescendingly, "Protecting these people?" she looked around, "_If_ one can describe them as people." she added.

"Utau, I can't, in good conscious, watch these people die! Not when they came to help us!"

"They came to help _you_." Utau corrected scornfully, "I'm on my own."

"But we're a team!" I protested. Utau shook her head and laughed darkly,

"There is no we in team."

"But there isn't an _I_ either!"

"There is a me." Utau pointed out. I glared at her.

"Still, we work together, so are you going to fight or what?" Utau shrugged,

"Of course I'm going to fight! It's what I'm paid for right?" She steadied her scythe, pointing it right at the heart of the closest troll.

"SHIT!" The voice that swore was high and girlie, I turned around to see who'd uttered the noise when I realized it was Yaya. She was kneeling on the ground, clutching her temples.

"Yaya! What is it!" Kukai demanded. Yaya clamped her nonworking eyes shut.

"Those trolls aren't normal! They're infected with demon magic!"

"Easter!" Tadase growled. Nagihiko fought to sit up,

"They..." he coughed another couple times before continuing, "They'll pay! Using... lives." Just talking seemed to drain Nagihiko of all energy.

"What does that mean?" I inquired to Tadase. He turned to me, I wasn't sure if he hesitated to answer because he had finally noticed the blonde with a gigantic scythe or because he just wasn't sure _how_ to answer.

"These trolls will be omitting demonic energy, they'll be harder to kill because their bodies will try to reconstruct themselves and that energy will do our bodies harm even if we're just around them. I pray to god they don't know how to use those powers." There was no longer any time for conversation; about a dozen trolls were starting to aim large tree branches or rocks at us. I didn't feel the effects of the demonic aura at first, but once I did it, it was agitating and hindered my thought process. All along my skin there was a slight stinging sensation that was really distracting. Only Utau didn't seem to feel anything. She charged forth readily, slicing off bits and pieces of troll with ease. Then she turned to was the troll chunks get sucked back into place by some kind of magic.

Her expression was that of mild interest. Once the troll's she'd attacked were whole again she took a bottle from her belt pouch and proceeded to attack again. For every limb she cut off she squirted a dark gray liquid onto the troll's severed limb. She reached my side once more, and took another bottle of the same stuff from her belt, then whispered in my ear,

"You would have this if you had your belt or anything else, but I realize you need your cover, so borrow mine." As she turned once more towards the four trolls she'd injured she muttered, "And for your friends, tell them to pierce through the heart or brain, and if they can, cut off the demonic magic." With that she jumped back into the fray.

I followed Utau, leaping off a good sized rock I sliced a chunk out of one of the troll's shoulders, and then dripped some of the contents from the bottle Utau gave me into its wound. It screeched in pain. I bit my lip. _Crap, Utau had put this potion on the severed part... well, this might work too._

Quickly I stabbed the troll that was not yet done screeching. Its skin punctured easily this time, and soon I'd cut it into bits. Just then Kukai ran past.

"Kukai!" I shouted. He glanced my way and then back just in time to doge a troll's attack, "Aim for the heart or brain! It'll finish them off quicker!" He nodded, jumped onto the troll's back and kicked a hole through its skull. It fell limp onto the ground and Kukai jumped back to my side, attempting to wipe the blood off his shoe with the grass that surrounded us.

"I'm gonna need new shoes again." He complained. I laughed; he was always breaking his shoes – if not from phasing from human to werewolf it was playing too much soccer.

"Is Yaya protecting Nagihiko-kun?" I asked, chopping another troll's arm clean off then dousing the wound with the liquid. As the troll screeched ferociously Kukai replied casually,

"Yeah. Nagihiko wasted too much energy, not that I'm not thankful. He did save you after all."

"Hmph. I could've taken care of myself! Well, gotta go! Trolls to kill and stuff." I started in the direction of Utau, but Kukai gripped my wrist. I turned to find him staring intently at me,

"Be safe my love." he commanded of me. Then he pulled me into his arms, kissing me fiercely. My heart pounded in my chest and my skin felt hot as his lips wrestled with mine. Too soon he let me go. When he was fighting a troll alongside Tadase I shook my head and headed for Utau again.

"GO TO *bleep *ING HELL BASTARD!" I heard her cry as she shoved her scythe gracelessly through a severely injured troll. I looked around myself. We'd picked up pace despite Nagihiko getting hurt, and now troll bodies lay in a dense amount all over. The scent of blood hung in the air.

"Having a good time?" I asked Utau as she started at another troll. I didn't understand why they didn't just run away. Trolls could be so stupid.

"Oh yeah!" Utau called slicing back and forth while I selected my own victim. After a moment of silence between us Utau asked, "Amu, why don't you use your spiritual powers?"

"Spiritual powers?" I repeated questioningly.

"You have a lot dumbass!" Utau stated, "And I don't know what your problem is! If you just used it we could finish these things off in no time flat!"

"Pretending I understand what you're saying," I began, "Who says it's that simple. Maybe I don't know _how_ to use my 'spiritual powers'."

"Well learn! 'Cause maybe then you'll be a little useful!" Utau scoffed. I pointedly ignored that comment, and busied myself by cutting off another troll head.

"There are only a couple left over there," I pointed towards where the others were, "Let's go help." Utau shrugged and I raced over to Yaya and Nagihiko. Utau immediately headed for the remaining trolls. She made quick work of the first. Kukai strode over to me.

"We're almost finished here." he sighed. I could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

"I'm sorry I had to put you through this." I muttered. Kukai laughed,

"Sorry? If you hadn't asked for help you would've died. So, please, don't apologize!" Kukai smiled brightly. I grinned back at him. Something suddenly caught my eye. A troll had tossed a spear and it was heading straight for Utau, but she was too busy killing a different troll to notice. Just a simple spear wouldn't have been a problem except that I could see demonic aura just pouring off it. I gasped in terror, and Kukai turned and saw it too. He started running.

In those few moments I saw it so clearly it was as time slowed just for this one moment. I watched with horror. Kukai dashed in front of Utau, his arms out stretched in a defensive pose. He leapt in front of the on coming spear just as Utau turned to see what he was doing. Her eyebrows shot up as she realized what he was doing and her eyes became filled with heartbreaking panic.

The spear plunged through Kukai's stomach. Blood splattered everywhere, I heard the snap of his spine as the spear went out Kukai's back. Blood spewed from his mouth as he hit the ground will a dull thud. His eyes were dead, looking straightforward but seeing nothing. More blood kept coming; I was surprised by the amount of blood that could be contained in one body. All the pain he felt was obvious on his face. He had no energy left to hide it. I wailed and ran towards him.

"KUKAI!!!!!!" I screamed, "NOOOOO!" Yaya grabbed my shoulder before I could reach him. Tears filled her eyes, and fear was written everywhere on her face.

"You'll only hurt yourself more." she murmured. My tears fell like waterfalls, and my knees gave out. I huddled on the ground sobbing. Kukai was dead. What was worse, Kukai was dead because of me. I didn't get up; I didn't even look up for who knows how long. I thought I heard Utau crying too, but when I finally bothered to look around myself she had disappeared.

I cried all the way back to my house, and snuck into the house through the back door so I wouldn't have to talk to my parents, if they were actually home that is. The more I cried the more the tears kept coming. I'd barely managed to walk let alone find my way home. Many times Ran, or Miki, or Suu had to politely point me in the right direction again. Sometimes my crying was so bad they didn't have the guts to say anything, so after a couple blocks of walking the wrong direction I would realize my mistake and head the correct way.

When I opened my door Ikuto pulled me into my room and locked the door. He held my face gently between his hands. Though it was hard to see through my stream of tears, I could tell Ikuto was staring at me intently. His beautiful purple eyes made me cry even more for a reason I didn't understand.

"What happened?" He asked after a long silence that might have been a minute or so, but felt like a whole year. I shook my head, remembering the scene of Kukai: his body lying limp on the ground, Yaya crying silently a ways away, and myself curled up in a feeble position bawling. Ikuto rested my head on his shoulder; petting my hair he whispered kindly,

"It's okay. It's okay. You don't have to tell me." I took in a deep shaky breath as more sobs came. I couldn't bare the pain. I couldn't bare it that Ikuto was just standing there. I couldn't bare the memory of Kukai's last moment. I reached up and locked my lips onto Ikuto's. He kissed back despite my river of tears. He kissed me for a long time, and when I needed air, or just started sobbing again, he would kiss my neck or my ear or my forehead until I was done and pulled his lips back to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his hands locked around my waist. We continued to kiss. I continued to cry. Kukai was dead, and now what was I supposed to do?

**Author's Note: I'M SORRY!!!!! BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE!!!!! I'll be happy to answer in more detail exactly why I had to kill Kukai, there are a few reasons so you can choose between:**

**option 1: hurtful truth**

**option 2: major spoiler, like will ***ing ruin this fanfic because you will learn the ending if you ask kind of major spoiler**

**or you could just accept that it was essential to the plot. Sorry again, please understand this killed me too. And seriously, on word this thing is 10 pages! 10 fucking pages of this chapter! This is a fucking long chapter, not even kidding!**

**Please review. Umm... also (though its a little late for this) happy Friday the thirteenth? DX sorry again please don't hate me! I love you all! I love Kukai too! Kukamu is like my 2****nd**** fav shugo chara ship! **


	13. A Bittersweet Realization

**Author's Note: :'( im still sad about kukai...**

"**The angel of love had unexpectedly crawled into my heart, and now he is dead." **

Chapter 13: A Bittersweet Realization

I had a dream that night. Well a nightmare actually. It was a twisted and brutal nightmare. This was horrifyingly bloodier and deadlier than any nightmare anyone has ever had. Over a hundred-fifty yellowish green colored deaths swirled on the outskirts of my vision while one wicked moment repeated itself over and over. I couldn't breathe. I wasn't sure if I was actually still alive, and if I had known I was alive during this nightmare I might have died of the shame, of the guilt.

_Kukai... Kukai... _I thought, no, screamed. Anguished howls, blood-curdling sounds, bayed at a red colored full moon. Ikuto was in the middle of that moon. His back turned to me, he was going to battle. I heard a war cry from a species unknown.

Utau's face – eyes wet with sadness – too was mixed in with many other faces. Through the ever-changing background the focus remained the same. The snapping sound of a spine – Kukai's spine – was everlasting. I wasn't sure how long I slept, I was surprised I could sleep at all. It was too horrible. Way too horrible. I'd hardly been able to admit it to myself. Even my dream self sobbed as I realized and admitted that my feelings for Kukai had grown and strengthened over the time I'd known him.

I hadn't known what I had until I'd lost it, but now it was too late. Far too late. I loathed the bitter taste this fact left in my mouth. I wanted to scream when the background of Kukai's death changed for the last time. He was surrounded by mirrors, shattered mirrors, and worse than showing a thousand reflections of Kukai's death those mirrors showed me a thousand reflections of myself. That was when the screaming came. It didn't stop. I was afraid if it did stop I would die. I was afraid if it didn't stop I'd have to continue living. In the blackness before my eyes opened to reveal a sunny morning, unfitting for my sorrow, I curled up and sobbed until my eyes were sore and my throat was dry and my heart ached even worse than before.

Then I opened my eyes. In a way waking up was scarier than the actual dream, because in waking up I knew I was alive I knew I'd have to go one with my life despite all the pain that lodged itself in my heart. I saw Ikuto's long sapphire bangs in front of my eyes. Our foreheads were pressed together. Sweat covered mine. As my breathing increased Ikuto's already crushing grip on my arm tightened. He looked up at me worriedly; the beautiful color of his blue-purple eyes was dulled with tiredness. His hand shot up with inhuman speed to brush my pink hair from my face.

"Are you all right? I don't know what kind of nightmare you were having, but—" he started, his voice was nervous. His manner reminded me of when he'd starved himself for weeks and weeks and gone half-crazy because of it.

"I was screaming all night wasn't I?" I asked him. _Had Mama or Papa heard? Had they come in?_ Mama and Papa were extremely heavy sleepers, and not only that but they were used to me screaming as I slept, but it my shrieks were half as bad as my dream the neighbors might have called the cops or something.

"No." Ikuto's eyes were wide and focused despite the fact her was clearly tired, "It was frightening though, Amu. You wouldn't stop shuddering, and you kept uttering gibberish, and then you started tossing and turning, but your expression was the worst of all. It was as if you screaming silently, like your voice box couldn't physically handle the strain a scream that loud would cause! Amu why were you so scared of that nightmare? Was is another vi—" I held up my finger.

"It was more than a nightmare. It was real. All too real. It was what happened yesterday... the thing that had made me act..." memories of the night before flooded back, I could still remember how Ikuto's lips felt against my own, "...that way."

"W-what was it? Does it involve, that troll clan?" I looked into Ikuto's eyes as he asked the question. His concern for me made me feel even more horrible. _I don't deserve to be cared about. I'm an awful person!_

"K-ku-ku-ku—" I couldn't even say his name. Every time I tried I saw his eyes, dead but still wide opened with shock and pain. Every time I blinked I saw the blood, I could even smell the blood, and instead of the beat of my racing heart all I heard was the snap of his bones. Tears again burst from my red and exhausted eyes.

"KUKAI!" I wailed into Ikuto's shirt. He pulled me closer to him. Embracing me protectively he rested his chin on the top of my head. I sobbed for a long time and then I finally finished what I had to say, "died." I squeaked unintelligibly.

"What?" he asked after a moment.

"DEAD! KUKAI'S DEAD!" I finally said it and as I did I could almost hear my heart splitting in two. And then Ikuto was still. He wouldn't move a millimeter, like a statue he stayed perfectly still. _Is he in shock?_ I began to wonder.

Gently he released his hold on me, stroking my skin as he let go and pushed himself away. Then he knelt on the floor by my bed, taking my hands in his.

"I'm so sorry, Amu. I'm the one who forced you to become attached to him. I'm sorry. I thought... Well I never thought that... he might possibly die. I'm sorry." He bowed his head.

"Y-y-you are blaming _YOURSELF_!?" I gaped at the vampire kneeling before me. He was sincerely taking the blame for Kukai's death!

"I'm blaming myself for the severity of your anguish! Not for the death itself!" he interjected as if he'd read my mind.

"I." I didn't know what to say. I was too dehydrated from all my crying to cry more, plus with the bright sun I was beginning to numb to everything, like a hard rock shell was forming around my wounded heart.

There was a long moment of silence. Ikuto continued to kneel in front of me, guilt written clear as day in his eyes. I watch the dust particles dance in the sunlight that flitted out from my balcony window. It's funny how in the most excruciating and overwhelming moments mentally a human will become completely half-hearted on everything. I was sad about Kukai, there was not denying that, but I was praying him to come back to life, maybe to apologize to him, but I was afraid of what might happen if Kukai were miraculously not dead. It had taken years for me to finally say that I wanted Dia to come back.

"You loved him didn't you?" Ikuto whispered. I doubted he actually wanted an answer, but his words had made my heart skip a beat and snapped be back into the brink of sanity. I could think straight now.

_Do I love Kukai? Have I ever loved Kukai? Where did that come from? To be someone's girlfriend, do you have to love that person? Don't humans often say the opposite of what they want or what they feel? Is it not human nature to do such things? Why did I say yes anyway? I said yes because I didn't feel like saying no. I said yes... I said yes because Ikuto told me to. Am I in love with Kukai, the answer... its not no. But it isn't yes. The real answer is,_

"I love Ikuto-kun."

Time stood still in that split second as Ikuto processed what I had just said. As I myself processed what I had just said I realized I was so horrified by Kukai's death, to such an intense extreme, was because I felt guilty. I felt guilty for having let him die believing I was in love with him.

Ikuto gawked at me. His deep indigo eyes burning with a new emotion that couldn't possible be describable in words. It was a rare mix of worry, excitement, surprise, joy, guilt, anger, sorrow and everything in between.

"What?"

**Author: *hyperventilates**

**Angel Kukai (imagine Kukai with a halo): Wow! I so ship Amuto now!**

**Author: XD knew ya would!**

**Angel Kukai: Man, I'm hungry!**

**Author: O.O Random!**

**Angel Kukai: Give me a break I haven't eaten since I got killed.**

**Author: I've got cake!**

**Angel Kukai: WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!**

**Author: Sorry the chappy is so short! But I figured you guys might want another chapter and fast! Oh yeah once every week there will be updates on Ten of Hearts and Black Candlelight each ;P**

**Angel Kukai: REVIEW :D**


	14. A Funeral

Chapter 14: A Funeral

"W-what?" Ikuto stuttered. His eyes widened even more as he stared at me. I stared back, my honey colored eyes probably just as wide.

"I love Ikuto-kun." I repeated. Normally I would've scolded myself. I was saying it so bluntly; it was almost unforgivable.

"I'm sorry..." Ikuto murmured after a long moment, "I think my brain just broke. Can you repeat that?" I sighed, and rolled my eyes. He was a vampire so there was no way in hell that he hadn't heard me. I leaned towards him, allowing my breath to tickle his cheeks. I hoped he liked it. I always liked it when Kukai did that to me, but for Ikuto I just didn't know.

"I. Love. You." despite my calm voice and expression my heart pounded in my chest. As he gazed, astonished, into my eyes I felt a small blush creep onto my cheeks. Though my voice lacked emotion because it was dry from my sobs, I felt the intense truth of my statement. I just had to say, at least on more time.

"I love you Ikuto." My face inched closer to his as I spoke. I could almost feel his lips. His sweet breath caressed my skin. I tried to close the gap between us, but then Ikuto, who had been stone still before, moved unexpectedly.

I nearly fell off my bed. When I regained balance I glared up at him and he looked down at me with apologetic eyes,

"Amu this is wrong! Kukai only died yesterday and you're already saying to love someone else?"

"But Ikuto! I realized I love you and... and..." I felt like a whiny little kid who was angry for not getting what they wanted, "I know I love you and I think my heart will burst if don't tell you!" Is he trying to reject me? What about that first time he kissed me? What about last night? Were those all some kind of impulse decisions or was Ikuto just trying to be noble? I didn't want noble. I wanted Ikuto.

"Amu! I'm a fugitive! I'm dangerous! Dangerous things tend to happen around me! I _killed_ my family! Do you not think something like that might happen again?" his eyes were intense. For once he seemed completely open. All his emotions were pouring out. I could see into his soul. In his eyes I saw something similar to heartbreak, "Not only that, but I will out live you by maybe a million years! I can't allow you to love me because then I'll have to admit how much I love you! I don't want to live thousands of years with a whole in my heart only you can fill!" My eyes widened as I stared at him. I wasn't sure, but did he just confess that he loves me?

"Is that why you told me to be with Kukai?" I asked. He looked at the ground and mumbled,

"Yes. I can't let myself love you because then I won't be able to get over it when you die. But I also knew that I just couldn't stay away from you. I just _can't_. So the best way to solve the problem was to let you go with another guy who could make you happy."

"You know that's more than a little selfish." I commented, "You don't care about my feelings? You just care about the pain it will cause you when I die?" Ikuto looked up at me. His eyes were apologetic.

"I'm a selfish person Amu." I got off my bed and started towards him again,

"So am I." I whispered as I kissed his lips before he could move away. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Amu... I love you." he pulled me closer and we stood there hugging, but then my phone buzzed on my dresser, ruining the moment.

Sighing, I picked it up and flipped it open.

"Amu?" it was Yaya's voice.

"Yaya... are you okay?" I asked sympathetically. I heard a sigh on the other end.

"Yes. I'm fine. Tadase's uncle is taking care of me for now. They— they're trying to find a foster family. Being— being blind I can't live all by myself." Her voice trembled a bit.

"Yaya I'm so sorry..." I whispered, all my sorrow and guilt coming back like a bad cough.

"It's not your fault Amu... really it isn't. But—but... we." Yaya took a deep breath trying to steady her voice, "We're having a— a f-funeral for Kukai." I didn't miss the pain in her voice as she said his name.

"I'll be there." I said immediately.

"Thank you." Yaya mumbled and then there was a 'click' that told me she had hung up.

"Kukai-kun..." I heard Suu sigh sadly.

"We'll go to the funeral too Amu-chan." Ran announced; Miki nodded.

"Thanks." I replied solemnly. Then I stood up to fish through my closet to find something black to wear.

An hour later I arrived at the crop of trees just behind the Guardian's building. Yaya had said Kukai came there a lot when he transformed so we decided that would be a good place. Also it wouldn't be out of the way if we ever wanted to mourn him. Then there was the reason everyone was thinking, but no one wanted to admit. It was that they wanted him close so if he came back as a ghost he will come back to the Guardian's hide out.

The once bright sky was beginning to cloud over as I made my way through the weeds towards the burial spot. I wore a high collared, black dress made of soft material. It had long sleeves and striped cuffs. The poofy skirt of the dress ended above my knee. With it I had a belt with a skull shaped buckle. I wore shiny black rain boots over my spotted leggings. My pink hair was in two buns at the top of my head and I had my + clips colored black just for the occasion.

Tadase, Nagihiko, and Yaya were there too. Also, if I looked closely I could make out the shiny white of some of the ghosts protected from Easter by the Guardians. They all wore sorrowful faces. My umbrella that I'd brought just in case hit my shins as I ran.

Gasping for breath (I'd run all the way there) I arrived. The coffin was already there. It's wood was dark and someone had painted on it a large silver moon. A large framed picture of Kukai rested against a near-by tree. It didn't escape me that Yaya's eyes were red from tears. Tadase didn't have the same girlie, happy shine it usually did and Nagihiko seemed less schizophrenic than usual. I stopped dead when I saw her. I hadn't been expecting her at all. Especially since she was part of Easter.

"Utau?" I questioned. The blonde (who wore a long, sleek black dress with torn sleeves and an _extremely_ low V neck) looked up.

"Amu-chan." Her eyes were sad and hollow, "This is the least I could do for the man who saved my life." she explained. I nodded solemnly and came closer. I stepped towards Kukai's picture. The look of his beautiful auburn hair, sparkling green eyes, and goofy grin got tears rolling down my cheeks in record time. My ghosts quietly floated to my side. The feel of their afterlife aura was comforting slightly.

The funeral was a quiet thing. The grave had already been dug, and the we found a large rock and stashed it on top of the dirt. Yaya used some of her spiritual powers to lock it on the earth and I painted the kanji to Kukai in small letters on the stone. By the end though, all of us were crying. I even saw Utau shed a couple tears.

When I turned to leave gray clouds had completely covered the sky. Rain drops began coming down. I glanced at Utau who was starting to leave as well. She was tearing up pretty badly now, but that wasn't the thing that caught my eye. I saw something odd, like a glowing I'd never seen before, coming from her.

No. I was wrong I had seen it before. In a vision when I'd made that wish that had begun it all. It sparkled... like the one who had answered my call. An angel as I'd thought.

"Ran... you see that right?" I whispered so only my ghosts could hear.

"Yes." Ran replied, an emotion I didn't understand was in her voice.

"Do you know what it is?" I asked.

"Yes." Ran stared hard at Utau and continued, "It's angelic aura. During that battle she was covered in a demonic aura of her own."

"Well what's causing that?" I wondered. It was Miki who responded,

"It means she's being possessed." Her voice was dark almost daunting.

"What?" I gazed after Utau as she left. Then tears started to well up at the brim of my eyes. I knew that this was the kind of thing I would tell Kukai about, and he would actually listen! Shaking my head I thought, _I didn't love him! But still I have such an attatchment to him... is it... is that friendship?_

I walked in the front door, hanging up my umbrella and taking off my shoes. I heard my parents clamoring in the kitchen so I took off my skull belt and my black + clips, stowing them in my plaid bag that sat in the hallway.

Nikaido was in the kitchen helping my mom again. She didn't notice though. Gosh, my mom could be such an airhead. My dad was rifling through the fridge while my sister yammered about the unimportant gossip of her preschool.

"Amu-chan!" My mother greeted cheerily, "Help with dinner!" I sighed and obeyed.

After a night of doing chores I trudged up to my room. The aching in my heart began to burn again. I missed my best friend. I could _feel_ that he wasn't in this world anymore. I could just _feel_ it.

"Welcome back." Ikuto murmured softly. He sat with his back against the wall and his legs crossed. His little brother/ghost Yoru floated around the room.

"I'm tired." I yawned. Then I stepped into my walk in closet and changed into red and black striped pajamas. When I came out of the closet Ikuto was already settling himself into my bed. He patted the space next to him as a sign I should join him.

"You're going to have nightmares for _weeks_." he murmured sympathetically, "I want to help in whatever way I can." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah... but you know I have nightmares all the time." Ikuto frowned at my comment.

"I wish you didn't. Normal people have good dreams about flying or fulfilling their goals in life!"

"I had those kinds of dreams once. But now I don't. I think its karma."

"But you didn't do anything wrong!" Ikuto protested.

"Well then maybe it's the universe balancing itself out! I don't know... but what I do know is that these dreams... I think they prepare me. So that I can handle those kind of hard things that happen while I'm awake." I hopped into bed and Ikuto pulled the covers over me, tucking me in.

Under my comforter I felt warm and with Ikuto's arms around me I felt safe. At least I did until I fell asleep.

My dream that night was troublesome. It was night time, but the sun blazed over head. There were no clouds in the sky and yet on the ground I saw puddles, and ripples in the puddles as if rain were falling down.

I turned. I was in front of my house, but it was silent, there was no one at all. Well except for me. Then on the horizon I saw something flash. It was a figure, silhouetted by the hot sun. It kept coming closer and closer until I could see colors. There was orangish color at the top and then yellow. Then the figure got closer still. It was a girl. She had orange hair and wore a short yellow dress with a V neck and long billowing sleeves. Then she had on yellow leg warmers over her boots. To match that she had a headband with a diamond pattern on it.

As she kept getting closer her features became more clear, but then her outfit changed. Her hair flipped to the side in a classic teenaged angst look. She had a V neck purple and yellow shirt with a diamond pattern. The shirt lengthened at the ends and billowed out to the side. Her belly button showed and she had on short-shorts. She had long purple armsocks, fishnet leggings, and high heels.

The all too familiar girl stopped when she stood in front of me. She had a smirk on her face.

"Dia?" I questioned. Then my dream ended. My eyes snapped open. I snatched a look at the clock. It was three in the morning. My forehead was covered in cold sweat, luckily I felt safe wrapped inside Ikuto's strong arms, but I felt too shaken to go back to sleep.

**Angel Kukai: WTF!? what was with that dream? And they had a funeral for me? aw! thanx guys! And you made Utau come too! YAY KUTAU!**

**Auhtor: Calm down calm down! :P and as for the dream you'll just have to wait and see. Was that just a dream or was that the beginning of something big? Will Amu's wish be granted and what troubles lay ahead for Ikuto and Amu? STAY TUNED!**

**Daichi: PLEASE REVIEW!!! *thumbs up**

**Angel Kukai: and please vote on the poll on spazzfreak's profile! we really want to know your opinion!**


	15. A Bloody Drowning

Chapter 15: A Bloody Drowning

"Well, well. Excellent job. Of course Easter would have preferred to have had a chance to... _meet_ him, but his death will suffice. You are _sure_ the werewolf is dead?" Hoshina inquired. I nodded my head. I had been worried about being able to pull of a professional act, but it was going well so far. I'd been able to push back my emotions.

"Yes. Like I said, he tried to protect the troll clan, but one of them went crazy and pierced a spear through his stomach. There's no way he survived it. It was daylight and not close enough to the full moon. He didn't stand a chance."

"Very good. Very good. And you set the whole thing up? Called for 'help' from the Guardians, knowing they'd come to your rescue, and then you lured the werewolf into a trap?"

Inside I shuddered. The gruesome image of Kukai's death was still fresh in my mind. On the outside I simply returned Mr. Hoshina's horribly cold stare,

"Yes." I said as emotionlessly as possible.

"Good. I think a raise is in order... don't you think? But first I want to know, is your... _relationship_ with the other Guardians intact? Or do they suspect you?" he inquired.

"They suspect nothing. I can continue my undercover work if that is what you want." Mr. Hoshina leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin.

"Yes... continue with your work... but see if you can't get any more out of them. With any luck they stop trying to hinder Easter's works, or maybe with even better luck they'll kill themselves getting tricked by you." Hoshina chuckled. My stomach churned as my anger boiled. I was so revolted by his comment that I wanted to vomit and I was so angered by it that I wanted to slap him. Swallowing every one of my beliefs I bowed my head and agreed. He smirked and slid my paycheck over his desk towards me.

I arrived home to find Ikuto nowhere to be found. I shrugged it off and started on my math, which I was behind on, but I had an odd feeling about Ikuto. He was always around, really where could he go when Easter was after him like they were?

An hour later I heard heavy breathing and something brushing the back of my neck. Instinctively I twirled around and smacked at whatever it was. My palm connected with his face before I realized who it was.

"IKUTO!" I exclaimed taking a step back. He rubbed his hand where I'd slapped him.

"Damn, your stronger than you look. That stung a little." I glared at him. _Stupid vampire! A normal person would've been knocked straight across the room._

"Where have you been?" I asked trying to act casual and regain my composure. Ikuto smirked and pulled me towards him with one hand. I blushed despite myself. Then I seriously started blushing when he grabbed my thigh.

"ACK! When did you become such a pervert!?" I backed away from him. He just chuckled.

"I suppose I've been that way forever... of course I've been too busy watching everything I do and say I just never got a chance..." Then he picked my up, twirled me around in the air and sat me on my bed. I looked up (a bit agitated) at his perverted smirk as he exclaimed,

"But now I'm allowing myself to let go, be who I really am," he brought something pink in front of me, "smell the roses." He handed me a single pink rose. Its light pink petals reminded me of my hair color. Ikuto sat down and nuzzled my neck.

"When I was out I saw it and thought of you. That flower's what made me come back."

"Made you come back..." I repeated staring at the lovely rose, "You weren't planning on coming back?" I inquired turning to him. Ikuto's eyes were sad and his smirk faded away.

"No." he admitted, "I've been relying on you for so long... I, I've been hiding. I want to stop hiding and do something productive towards getting Easter off my back."

"...so you were just going to leave?" It felt like I was being rejected, "You were going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"It wasn't like I didn't plan on seeing you ever again, because Amu I _can't_ stay away from you, but there will come times when I'll have to leave for... a while."

"A while? How long is _that_? You're a vampire! One day you could get up and leave and not come back for _years_ is that what 'a while' means?" I demanded.

"What? No! A while would be a couple weeks! I couldn't stay away from you as long as a year, Amu!"

"And why not?"

"I'm... addicted to your blood."

"Huh?" I stared at him questioningly and he returned my gaze with a serious expression.

"It happens all the time with vampires. If they've managed to make a human last long enough they become addicted to the blood, like a human might become addicted to alcohol or drugs." Ikuto shook his head, "It's actually a bad problem for Created vampires. I was surprised when I realized I'd become addicted because it usually doesn't happen for Purebloods and even when it does it usually doesn't happen with human blood. Purebloods are usually born strong enough to avoid addiction." I just stared at him, mouth ajar, so he continued,

"Created vampires often have trouble with control so they have a tendency to become addicted, and once addicted they suck all the blood from their victim's body."

"What happens once the victim is dead? You said they were addicted... so do they go through withdrawal or something?" I inquired.

"Once the victim is dead the vampire... usually is able to move on rather easily. It's the scent of the blood, the sound of it pulsing through the veins, that would drive a vampire to that state of addiction, but once its gone they no longer need it."

"But before you said my blood wasn't that..." I searched for the word he had used before, "_Potent_. And... does this mean one of these days you're going to go crazy and kill me?" Ikuto chuckled, but I noticed a slightly bitter tone in his voice,

"I realized I was addicted one day while you were at school. That day I felt really thirsty... but I didn't want you to sacrifice anything for me so I went out and found someone else, but when I was about to make my attack I caught the smell of her blood and heard the way it pulsed through her... it made me sick. That's what happens to vampires when their addicted to a single human's blood. They _can't_ hunt another human, not until that human is either dead or a vampire themselves." He looked at my and smirked, "Oh don't give me that look. It's not as if _all_ blood addictions end in the senseless death of an innocent human. Often the vampire becomes emotionally attached to the person and makes him or her a vampire or just forces themselves to never drink more of their human's blood than necessary."

I blinked, I knew that my astonished look came through in my eyes, "Really?" I smiled a little as he nodded. Then I moved my hand to brush it against his cheek, but my flesh caught on something sharp. I looked down. One of the pink rose's thorns had snagged my hand and now it was bleeding. I looked back up at Ikuto. I knew he could smell the blood.

"Crap. Now we're going to have one of those ironic and romantically cheesy moments where you'll say, 'here let me help you with that' and then I say 'no that's okay.' and blush. Then you drink my blood and –if this were a TV show– that would be the end of the scene. The next scene would be something where another conflict is revealed." Ikuto chuckled, grabbed my hand, and started licking the cut. I blushed crimson.

I ran along side Utau. Her quick pace was bothering me. Something about her gait worried me. We had just finished ridding Earth of a rogue specter, but she seemed in too much of a hurry to stick around. Not that I would want to stay at the bloody scene. The specter had started melting people and it just wasn't a pleasant sight. After he was done all that was left was a brownish puddle, bones, and the thick iron smell of blood.

After shuddering from my memory of the image I asked Utau,

"Why are you walking so fast Utau?"

"Because we need to get away from here. But if we run they'll smell our fear."

"Fear? They? Who's they?"

"They are the vengeful spirits that specter had unleashed! They'll start haunting us if we draw in their attention." I halted.

"Then we should help! We can't let innocent people get haunted!" Utau turned and glared daggers at me. With her teeth barred she hissed,

"Keep moving! Our first priority is not to civilians, but to ourselves and Easter!" She turned away and walked a few more steps before stating over her shoulder,

"And don't let anyone other than me catch you talking like that. This isn't preschool anymore kid; that kind of thinking is weakness," she began walking again (even faster now), "And weakness will get you killed."

I followed after her. The warm days had just been a fluke and once again it was blistering cold. I felt a brush of freezing air that made me shiver.

Utau and I separated and I headed back to my house. It was after school. Easter had called me second to last period so I had ended up ditching my English class and missed half of Japanese class. I was tired. I hadn't slept at all well last night. Ikuto had decided to go off for the night, and I let him even though I knew I was going to have another nightmare. Those nightmares were getting ever stronger. It was an odd gift I had, to be able to see how someone died, but what was more disturbing was that this dream wasn't filled with pain or agony or blood. It was a setting (or rising) sun. And I was in front of my house with stars all around me and the sky black as night despite the sunlight. Then there was Dia. The closer she got to me, the more she started changing. I couldn't get over the fact that it was Dia. It made me feel like something bad were about to happen: something bad, but important.

I was snapped from my thoughts when I realized I was almost at my house. I hoped idly that Ikuto had done my homework for me again; I hated homework. Then I realized my feet were really heavy and I was out of breath, but I knew I hadn't been running. Even when I was following Utau I'd simply been jogging, so why was I so tired?

Then I glimpsed something come from my house. It flew towards me at a rapid speed; its body nearly invisible.

"Get away from her demon scum!" It was Nikaido! Nikaido passed over my head, swiping his translucent hand through my neck. I gasped as if the wind had been knocked out of me. Turning around I saw Nikaido wrestling with the ghost of an old man. The old man was tinted with an aura of hate; his eyes blank, but angry. Nikaido grabbed the elder's neck and proceeded to strangle the ghost.

"Quick Amu! Take out that potion Easter gave you and rid this spirit from the world!" Nikaido shouted; I quickly obeyed. Opening my side pouch I grabbed the vial full of a hot pink substance and splashed some onto the vengeful spirit. It made a gargling noise before it was no longer visible. I looked up at Nikaido.

"Th-Thank you." I stuttered in shock. Then I turned around at I heard my three other ghosts, Ran Miki and Suu, approach, squealing, "AMU-CHAN!"

I skipped dinner that night. I didn't feel hungry at all, especially since my mom made my least favorite meal she ever makes. I took a bath and changed into a long sleeved nightgown before going to my room.

Ikuto was leaning back in my desk chair when I opened the door. I quickly entered and shut my door before anyone could see him. He turned his head and smirked at me.

"Helloooooooooo" he greeted pervertedly. I stuck my tongue out at him teasingly.

"Aw don't be like that," he pouted. Then his eyes searched up, and down my figure, "You know you look beautiful in the dress." There was a sudden breeze and suddenly he right next to me. He leaned in really close, causing me to blush. Then he pecked me on the lips, licked my cheek, and was back to sitting in my desk chair before I realized what had happened.

"Pervert." I muttered before climbing into bed, "Well, perverted old man, I'm going to sleep. Do whatever you want." I added the last bit despite the fact I wanted him to stay. I could feel in the chore of my bones that there was a nightmare coming: an extra bad one.

"EEP!" I exclaimed because Ikuto was suddenly under the covers with me. _Damn you vampire speed!_ His arms locked around my waist and his head rested on the base of my neck.

"_Whatever_ I want?" he whispered as he started trailing his fingers from my waist to my hip. I kicked him really hard in the shin. I had the pleasure of seeing him flinch for a split second before he regained his composure and smirked at me.

"I'm only twelve! And you knew what I meant!" He pouted and argued,

"But you'll be thirteen in about six months right?" That was right. It had been a long time since everything had happened. It had been a very long time.

"Shut up and go to sleep!" I ordered him as I reached over and turned off my lamp.

"Yes, your majesty!" he teased and snuggled closer to me. I sighed and relaxed my muscles, urging sleep forward as fast as it could go.

My eyes opened to blinding sunlight. I looked up and there was a deep black sky dotted with millions of tiny glimmering specks. When I looked around I realized I was on the street in front of my house. It was then that I saw the familiar orange and yellow dot approaching me. As she came into view her outfit and hair changed, just like always. She became a blonde wearing a purple and yellow outfit. She looked just like any angst-filled teenager.

"Dia..." I murmured. I knew the dream wasn't going to end. No it was just beginning.

"Amu Hinamori." My eyes widened with shock. The girl in front of me, who I knew was Dia had said "Amu" with Dia's voice, but she had said "Hinamori" with the voice of another. It sounded so very close to Utau!

"Utau?" I gasped.

"Ikuto." Utau and Dia's voices said together. I took a step back out of fear.

"I-Ikuto!?" I exclaimed, confused.

"Weakness!" yelled Utau's voice.

"Die." my sister's voice muttered condemingly. Then the world around me shattered and all I saw was gray darkness. I turned my head. There was a noise. It was a hollow, echoing sound. It was the sound of water dripping. But then I felt tears roll down my eyes and screamed silently when I realized it was not water, but blood.

One droplet at a time blood was dripping from some unknown place above me. The red substance pooled on the ground, and slowly the puddle grew bigger and bigger. I gasped as I found its chilling texture reach my hands. I wanted to scream as the smell overwhelmed my senses. Soon my ankles were drenched in it. Not too long later and it was up to my knees. My clothing was stained red and now it was up to my waist. I wailed as it rose up to my neck. Just as I was about to be pulled under I screamed, but it went unheard. The only sound I managed to make was that of gurgling. Pitch black. Darkness. Fear.

**Author: I figured since this **_**is**_** supposed to be a horror story I'd throw in more horror. What did ya think?**

**Ikuto: O.o**

**Amu: I DROWNED IN BLOOD!?**

**Utau: When did I become an evil reincarnation of Dia? I'm suing.**

**Author: Can you sue for that?**

**Ikuto: Do I **_**look**_** like a lawyer?**

***Everyone turns to Kairi**

**Kairi: *adjusts glasses, clears throat for like five minutes * IDK**

**Author: ... Well **_**that**_** was out of character...**

**Amu: I DROWNED IN ******ING BLOOD! WHAT THE ********

**Ran: LANGUAGE!**

**Yoru: Nyan! Please review!**


	16. A Twin

Chapter 16: A Monster in the Closet

I screamed, cold sweat appearing on my forehead. An agitating, sharp pain bit into my finger. It was a paper cut. I should have been able to shrug it off, but ever since that nightmare of me drowning in blood, I haven't been able to stand the sight of blood. It brought tears to my eyes and made me want to scream my lungs out. The reason was that that nightmare had been occurring over and over.

My teacher looked up to see me shaking. He grimaced and pointed at the door. Hanging my head I left the classroom. My ghosts (though not noticed by anyone in the class) followed me out.

As I walked down one hallway aimlessly, a light above me began to flicker. I looked up at it, only to look back down because of its bright intensity. For a split second, when the light flickered out, I saw a shocking image. I gasped loudly and took several steps backwards. Looking around I noticed my ghosts' faces suddenly had an odd emotion; it was one of fear and confusion.

I looked back to where I'd seen the orange haired girl in the yellow outfit. As the florescent bulb above me flickered out again I saw her face. She was smiling. I stayed still. Half of my instinct told me to step forwards – towards the welcoming girl – but the other told me to run away. As fast as I could.

The light flickered more rapidly. Like a very old movie the image of the girl started to move. Slowly her hair and clothes changed shape and color. As they did she took several steps towards me. Tears began streaming down my cheeks and dripping onto the floor. I uttered a tiny scream when I heard the dripping sound that gave me flashbacks to the blood. All that blood.

Dia was coming closer. All that blood. Drowning. Getting closer. Can't breath. Dia opened her mouth. I heard it in a million whispers.

"Shi" (**A/N: Shi can mean death in Japanese**)

I wailed. Closing my eyes against the terrible, horrible, world in front of me I turned to run. While I sprinted farther and farther away I kept screaming, at the top of my lungs. The tears were still gushing from my eyes.

Pushing the front doors open with all my might I ran for the first place I thought of, Kukai's grave. By the time I'd fought my way through all the weeds I was sweaty and fatigued. Then tears of over-whelming sorrow started streaming down my cheeks as well, mixing with my fearful cries. I battled through the remaining patches of tall grass and dropped to my knees beside the rock we'd used to mark Kukai's grave. Grass had already grown over the dirt completely.

Something made my well trained instincts yell at me to get out of there. I glanced around me, heart pounding like a frightened rabbit. A hand suddenly shot out from the tall weeds and grasses. I shrieked and tried to scuttle away, but it grabbed onto my shoulder.

"Dear God, NO!" I wailed, shutting my eyes tight again. For a brief moment I had a sepia-tone flashback. There was me hugging a soft pillow. I was telling myself that nothing was going to hurt a normal girl like me. I was speaking rationally. I was telling myself to understand reason and logic. I couldn't tell myself those things now.

"Amu-chan." The voice spoke. Whatever thing had just spoken, its voice was that of a male's but high enough to be described as girly. It sounded familiar.

Nagihiko suddenly stepped out of the grass. His long hair was full of leaves and his clothes were frayed and dusty. I lifted my eyebrows in surprise.

"Nagihiko?" I tried to ask, but my voice did not come. He seemed to understand though. He smiled in what I was sure was supposed to be a comforting way and asked with a very concerned tone,

"Are you alright?" I stared up into Nagihiko's deep, wise eyes and almost lost myself for a second. I shook my head and wiped away my tears. Sniffing a couple times before I spoke. With as much composure as could possibly be gathered after something like _that_, I said,

"Am _I_ alright? Look at yourself! You're a wreck." Nagihiko's expression relaxed a bit.

"So are you." he replied. Grabbing my hand he led me into the broken down Guardian's clubhouse. Sitting me on a wobbly, worn out chair (the stuffing from its cushions coming out), he began interrogating me immediately.

"Ok, I'm going to be blunt." he warned first, "What the hell happened?" I looked away from his eyes, down at the chewed on, dirty rag of a carpet.

"Its just... I have these visions. Sometimes they're no big deal, but this one... is becoming ever more real. I-I-I I'm..." I wasn't going to admit it. Not to Nagihiko anyway.

"Visions... when did these visions start?"

"Ever since I had my ghosts." I answered.

"And what kind of things do you see with these visions?" Nagihiko inquired.

"Deaths." I replied through gritted teeth. Nagihiko seemed taken aback.

"D-deaths? ...How..." He didn't finish his question.

"I see how a ghost or undead creature I've met died."

"...undead creature... what do you mean?"

"Vampires, zombies..."

"Reincarnations?" Nagihiko inquired. I looked at up at him,

"Not that I know of." I answered, a little confused. Then I remembered what Mr. Hoshina had said, and wondered if Nagihiko knew who the reincarnation was. Or maybe he's him.

"Amu... tell me... what do you know about your visions?" I paused for a second to gather my chaotic thoughts,

"They usually happen while I'm dreaming, though sometimes they also happen if there are flicker lights... rarely, but they do happen this way, my visions just... come. They happen and then go away... or sometimes the visions repeats itself." Nagihiko nodded solemnly,

"I see. I'm sorry, that must be so dreadful." Nagihiko's voice rose and had a hint of gentle kindness that had not been there before. He handed me some tea that had been sitting on a broken coffee table. He smiled sympathetically, which was inexplicably comforting. Our fingers touched lightly, and as he pulled away my entire body suddenly felt feverish. I gasped, dropping the tea cup onto the already stained carpet. My heart's pace became so rapid I feared it might give out.

"My God..." I heard Nagihiko gasp as I fell from my chair wheezing. My hands were shaking and clammy and the fever rose ever higher. I closed my eyes trying to think of something cold. _Someone help me!_ I wailed, but didn't have the strength to say it out loud.

"Amu!" Ran squealed.

"What are we going to do!?" Suu shouted.

"Hang in there Amu! Deep breathes!" Miki yelled at me. Then she went into my mind. She possessed me.

"Amu! I'm trying to find out what the problem is! I think I can defeat it from the inside!" Miki's voice sounded in my head.

I looked weakly up at Nagihiko, who was kneeling helplessly beside me. My heart skipped a beat, and not in a good way, when I saw something about him. Half of his body flowed with life energy while the other seemed empty and worn like those souls I'd seen before when I'd killed those trolls. But why wasn't this other soul disappearing? Why was it in Nagihiko's body.

With all the strength in my body I crawled closer to him. Gripping his shoulders for support I looked him straight in the eye and yelled at him,

"What the hell are you doing? Do you know how dangerous it is to have two souls?" Then there was pain in my forehead. The heat was absolutely unbearable. I shrieked a high-pitched wail of pain and fear and then I felt my head hit the floor.

Something cold and wet pressed against my forehead. I opened my eyes and saw Nagihiko dabbing my forehead with a wet washcloth. I saw the glimmering outline of my ghosts floating a ways away.

I grabbed Nagihiko's neck. He made a short gagging sound and looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Explain yourself. You have two souls, and one of them just gave me a vision of its death that almost killed me! So you owe me at least and explanation." I glared at him. Seeing his shoulders sag the way they did I knew he had given in to my demands.

So I sat back on the couch that I lay on and waited for him to start. Reluctantly he began his tale of woe.

"It was years ago, before my father became too busy with his dance school, and my mother busied herself with a cotillion class she had just begun. Our nanny was the only one looking out for us."

"Us?" I interrupted. Nagihiko sighed sadly,

"My twin and I. I had an identical twin named Nadeshiko. We were always together even though our family tried to pull us apart. They wanted me to follow in my father's footsteps as a traditional dancer while they wanted Nadeshiko to study and become a lady. We were bonded by our love of dance and traditional things. But I was a strong boy and I loved sports. Basketball especially. Nadeshiko liked sports too, but her body was weak and couldn't handle it. The more she pushed herself the more ill she became. Eventually our nanny banned Nadeshiko from leaving the house. She was barely allowed into the garden, and worst of all she was not permitted to dance.

"I worried for my sister so I decided one day to spy on her. I followed nanny who was taking Nadeshiko to a place I was told I was not allowed to go. That's when I learned of the spiritual powers that run in my family. Nadeshiko had amazing amounts of power within her, which was why her body was so weak, it could not contain all that raw power. Nanny hoped that in training Nadeshiko as a priestess her body would cure itself. Like I said Nanny was the only one looking out for us. I was a little jealous of Nadeshiko. It was such a spectacle to see her amazing powers at work. I immediately barged into the room and demanded I be taught too. Nadeshiko, I thought she would be angry, but she didn't mind. She loved having me around especially in her lonely training sessions.

"Unlike me, she didn't want spiritual power. She wanted to go to school and have sleepovers with friends. She wanted to giggle, and gossip, and be a good sister. She wanted to attend mother's cotillion lessons, and she wanted to grow up to be a good wife. At the time I couldn't understand why she wanted those things, but I accepted them.

"For a couple year our life was good. My body was getting stronger and stronger with all my sports and spiritual training, but my father was pressuring me even more now to follow his footsteps. I loved dancing, but really only as a hobby, not a career. Nadeshiko was really jealous of me though, so I obeyed my fathers wishes. My spiritual power wasn't as great as Nadeshiko's. She knew that. And so in return for my efforts she put extra effort into becoming a strong priestess, but her body was getting ever weaker. It wasn't long until she was bed-ridden.

"The doctors couldn't understand it. She was always monstrously feverish and she had terrible coughs. She could hardly stand on her own two feet. We used to share a room, but then she was moved to a small room far away from any of the main parts in the house. Because of how large our estate was I didn't often see my sister. With school and such getting harder I had more homework. I didn't see Nanny except for Saturday afternoons when she would grab me by the ear and give me strict spiritual lessons.

"Finally I became sick of never seeing Nadeshiko. I refused to go to school, and spent all day by her side. I left my friends behind. I didn't go near our dance studio. My homework was ignored, and I only ate when Nadeshiko did.

"Nadeshiko didn't like that though. She said it made her happy if at least I was having fun. She said we were connected by a bond only twins can have and that it one of us was happy the other would feel the same. But I argued that if one of us was sick we should _both_ be sick. That way we could get better together.

"She then told me that twins should compensate for each other, like Yin and Yang. I said I wanted to be by her side the second she felt better. I wanted to be by her side when she was healthy enough for the both of us to be happy.

" 'If one twin dies the other must live on for the both of them. I won't get better, Nagihiko-onii, so live on for the both of us. Be happy so I can be happy too." Nagihiko's shoulders began to shake. He clenched his hands into fists, "That was the last thing she said. She closed her eyes after saying those words. I... I didn't know what to say... and then she began crying. I thought I'd made her sad, but then I saw her cheeks were flushed more than usual and she looked icy pale. When I touched her forehead it felt like fire. Four minutes later she was dead.

"I thought I had lost her forever when I saw her soul, it was only half the strength it once was, since it had died and all. Her voice came from it, soft and gentle, 'Nagihiko-onii, we don't have to leave each other. Your body is strong now. If you think you can handle it, we can share that body. Together we can live on.' We both knew the dangers that of that happening. We both knew that my lifespan would shorten, especially if I started using my spiritual powers, but we wanted our siblinghood to last. We both wanted to live our dreams. So, I let her join me. Shortly after Nadeshiko's death I was moved to Seiyo Elementary School where I met Tadase, Kukai, and Yaya. We became friends and, because of our... uniqueness we built the Guardians which was designed to protect wandering souls who meant no one harm. Easter, we told you about them, had noticed the extreme power we had and tried to attack us, but we fought them off. Now I play basket ball, and dance, and I have friends and we talk and hang out."

"Wait!" I interrupted, "You said using your spiritual powers will shorten your lifespan, but I've seen you use your powers on several occasions."

"...Yes." he answered solemnly. I stared in disbelief.

"How long of a life do you have?"

"Not that long. Unless I get married as a teenager I will never have children, or at least meet those children, and I will never graduate college... this all assuming I continue using my spiritual powers as I have been."

"How the hell have you been using them?" I demanded. He smiled teasingly,

"Classified information."

I was freezing cold, and still scared stiff as I began my journey home from the Academy. My phone rang in my pocket and I flicked it open, already knowing who it was.

"Hello, Mr. Hoshina."

"Ah! Hello Amu Hinamori! We have another mission for you. Utua will debrief you so meet her on that bridge near Main Street that goes over the small river." he directed.

"Right away." I shut the phone and was on my way.

I didn't know what the problem was, so I wasn't sure if timing was important. Because of that I had to hurry. I saw Utau's blonde ponytails first. When I got towards her I saw some emotion flash in her eyes. Hate? No it must have been a trick of the light. What had I ever done to Utau?

"Hinamori Amu." she called. I stopped immediately. _That voice..._ My dream sped like a whirlwind around me. I gripped the sides of my heads, gritting my teeth and closing my tears – forcing back the tears.

"AMU!" I looked up instinctively. Utau had an agitated look on her face. She came forward and slapped me across the face. "Get a grip!" I nodded slowly.

"Yes... sorry Utau... sorry..." I looked at the pavement and asked, "Why was I called out here?" Utau shoved something at my and I held out my hands to grab it. It was a crossbow much like the one I had stashed at the back of my closet, but had been in too much of a rush to get. That's right wasn't even wearing the Easter uniform, I'd been too distracted.

"We're to capture a man with powerful ESP. He's been skirting Easter for at least a year and using his powers to help Easter's competitors in other fields take an advantage. The man is out to get Easter and we simply can't have that."

"...Agreed. Who is this man?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Amakawa Tsukasa." Utau answered. I gasped quietly. _Seiyo Elementary's Principle. Isn't he Tadase's uncle!?_

**Author: FORESHADOWING**

**Amu: in the last part? *rereads**

**Ikuto: *sweat drop * she didn't see it?**

**Author: ...maybe its not obvious enough**

**Ikuto: Anyone on Doki of Shugo Chara should be able to guess what's up.**

**Author: ...true... but what if they have Amu talent.**

**Ikuto: Don't you mean Female Main Character talent?**

**Author: That generalizes it too much.**

**Ikuto: *shrugs * its **_**mostly**_** true.**

**Author: ...yeah.**

**Yoru: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NYA!**

**Author: Psh**

**Yoru: SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE PLEASE REVIEW NYAN!**


	17. A Visit

**Author's Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D its her B-day today**

Chapter 17: A Visit

"Tsukasa..." I mumbled concerned. I couldn't hurt him because I just can't do that to him, he's a nice guy. I can't show my face because I'll blow my cover. If he managed to get away I might be blamed and Easter would be after me. I followed after Utau, letting Ran possess me so I'd be faster. Ran was more athletic than anyone I'd ever met, and when she possessed me I gained her athletic abilities.

"Uh... Utau..." I said after an awkward silence where the only sound was that of passing cars and our footsteps.

"What the hell do you want?" she demanded.

"Err... well, Tsukasa is related to one of the Guardians... you said he was powerful... so what if he manages to escape? If he does then my cover is blown and I might be blamed for his escape. You can see how I'm between a rock and a hard place here can't you?" Utau froze and after a small silence she murmured kindly.

"I understand, Hinamori. I'll help you don't worry." And then we walked on.

We stopped outside an ice cream store. Utau dove into the alleyway to its side, and I followed. Moments later Tsukasa walked by; Utau quickly dashed up and pulled him into the alley. I lurked in the shadows, not wanting Tsukasa to see my face. As Utau pulled him in I saw a kind of glint in his eye. She had said he had powerful ESP, so it would make sense that he already has a basic knowledge of what's happening. I just hoped that he didn't know _I_ was involved. I wouldn't be any help to Ikuto if we were both on the run.

For a second I had the most wonderful daydream. Ikuto and I were fleeing from Easter together. Always together we fled the country. I supplied him with my blood and he would find food for me to eat. I would never have to even think about my parents or my sister or the Guardians again.

I was snapped from that dream as I heard the shrill clang of metal. I looked to see Utau holding a short sword, which had been plunged deep in a layer of ice that separated her from Tsukasa. I could barely see his hand from the other side of that ice.

"Bastard." she muttered. Still being possessed by Ran as I was, I saw something about her aura. Flurries of red fell around her and I could see all the steps she'd taken were covered in what looked like ash.

I stepped free from the shadows. Throwing down my crossbow I walked over to the ice. I couldn't control my actions anymore. It was like I was metal and there was some kind of magnet attracting me toward the ice. If my mind had not been sent into chaos I would have figured what was happening pretty quickly. Vaguely, I heard Ran's voice,

"No! Amu! Amu!" suddenly her voice became louder. She was trying to possess me completely. She struggled in vain as I lifted my hand up to touch the ice where I could almost see Tsukasa's hand. Underneath my hand the ice began to melt away. Tsukasa's face was revealed from behind the thick wall of ice.

The most disconcerting thing was how he didn't seem surprised at all to see me. It was like he expected me. His expression grew into a large smile. To my horror I heard some kind of dripping sound. I looked over to see Tsukasa clamping his hand around the blade of Utau's short sword.

"Bye-bye Amu-chan!" he said gleefully. Suddenly he moved his arm back, pulling the short sword from Utau's hands and plunging it into his left eyes. Blood splattered everywhere. All I could do was stare. I stared, not really seeing him. All I saw was the pouring blood and his sickening smile.

With a steady hand despite it being sliced into by an extremely sharp blade, he dragged the sword downward from his not bloody eye he sliced through his cheek, stabbing into his neck, and finally he sliced down to his collarbone. I started shaking as Tsukasa collapsed into my arms. Still smiling he started wheezing. His final words,

"My office... tell Yaya... I'm sorry." he slumped even more, but I still felt an amount of life lingering in his bloody body.

"Amu. Daijoubu." His now lifeless body slid onto the floor, staining me everywhere with blood. Shuddering even more violently I fell onto my knees, feeling the blood splash as my legs hit the concrete. I looked back at Tsukasa, even dead he wore that wretched smile. That sinister smile. How could anyone find something so warm and sincere to be comforting? It was unnatural. It wasn't right.

I took the blood covered sword from Tsukasa's hands and plunged it into his uncut cheek, slicing it across his nose and forcing that loathsome smile from Tsukasa's face permanently. Dropping the blade, which now held my blood as well, I began to vomit due to the massively bloody scene in front of me.

Just barely above the sounds of my convulsive gagging I heard the footsteps of Utau as she fled, disgusted. I didn't have time to be concerned with her. So once I was done retching I dragged Tsukasa's body to a dumpster and then I took a match from my school backpack – I always kept some kind of weaponry with me – lit it and burned the dumpster.

Then I walked away, unseeing, the only reason I managed to get myself home was because of my ghosts.

Luckily I'd managed to stay out of sight as I made my way home. There were a couple lights on in my house so I went around the back and climbed up to my balcony using an old tree. I jumped onto my balcony wall and almost fell. Ikuto suddenly was there and pulled me into my room.

"What the hell did you do?" he inquired shocked. Then he sniffed the air. He looked at my hand hungrily, shook his blue haired head, and pointed at my clothes.

"Nevermind... clean yourself up! I'll dispose of your clothes, just get pajamas on!" I blushed.

"Ikuto... leave if I'm going to change here so you can dispose of my bloodstained clothes." I looked down at my uniform. No doubt Ikuto would find me another one, and probably get me new shoes, or at least clean the ones I had, but I was still sad. I'd been wearing my favorite socks and my skirt that had gotten frayed at the hemline and so it looked really cool.

"I won't look." Ikuto said sincerely. He turned around, facing opposite of my closet, "Go and change." I sighed, but went to my closet. Grabbing the first thing I saw, I quickly shrugged off my bloody uniform and traded for some comfortably warm orange pajamas. I watched Ikuto out of the corner of my eye the whole time, and he hadn't peeked once.

"Okay." I said, holding out my clothes, and shoes, "Dispose of these, but be quick... and don't go near the ice cream store's alley." Ikuto looked at me oddly then decided,

"I'll ask you about that later."

I nodded, and quickly snuck to the bathroom that was diagonal from my room.

Getting back to my room I saw Ikuto putting a new uniform and clean socks away in my closet.

"I put your shoes at the normal spot by the door. Don't worry your family didn't notice me, but I think there is something you should know about. I was here a while in the afternoon, and heard your parents talking. Apparently—" but Ikuto was cut off by the voice of my mother as she yelled from downstairs,

"AMU-CHAN! WE'RE BACK! COME DOWNSTAIRS!" I looked at Ikuto questioningly but he just shook his head and waved me out of the room.

I ran downstairs to find the most unexpected visitor sitting on my couch. She had a skinny, frail body and thin gray hair falling onto her shoulders. Her sharp yellow eyes turned to my in an instant. My heart skipped a beat in the bad kind of way as the visitor pushed herself off the couch with the help of her cane.

"Hello Amu-chan dearest." my grandmother greeted, stepping closer. I instantly bowed, stuttering,

"H-hello Grandmother!" my grandma smirked, and whispered into my ear.

"Now. Now. Can you explain to me why there are so many ghosts in this house? Oh my, tsk. Tsk. Amu-chan's such a troublemaker! Why is there a vampire here too _hmmm_?"

_Ikuto._

**Author's Note: The part where Tsukasa committed suicide I used it to go up against a friend in a "who can write a more depressing scene" that another friend is going to judge. OH btw Daijoubu means "its okay".**


	18. A Not So Typical Grandmother

Chapter 18: A Not So Typical Grandmother

"Grandmother..." I was about to start denying everything when my grandma chuckled and said gently,

"As long as you tell me I won't say anything to your parents. Besides, why would they believe me? They never have before." My grandma smiled at me tauntingly. I sighed heavily. My grandmother had always loved scaring me with stories of ghosts when I was young.

She talked of suicides and natural disasters and the afterlife all the time. She would talk about cases of hauntings and once she took me to an R rated horror movie. Through the whole thing I was crying screaming I wanted to go home. After that incident Dia hadn't really let me be with my grandma, which I didn't mind. I had never really liked her. She was missing several teeth and she had a wicked kind of laugh.

Her voice was like gravel and her taste for the supernatural had never made her any more appealing to hang out with. But I did have a few fond memories. My grandmother was the one who taught me how to knit. She was the one who spent a whole day with me picking apples and then baking an apple pie.

Now it seemed she knew about my supernatural life. I was surrounded by ghosts twenty-four seven now and had a vampire as a boyfriend. I looked at my grandmother. Her eyes sparked with excitement, as if she were a child in a candy store. She loved a good horror story.

My shoulders drooped. I didn't know what to do. I chewed on my lower lip and then quickly told her, to her joy I was sure,

"Tonight, if you would come to my room then I'll tell you, but for now act natural." Grandma smirked.

"Dearest, but of course."

Later that night I was quickly setting up a comfortable place for my grandmother to sit while Ikuto lay on my bed looking agitated.

"What?" I demanded, hiding my backpack under my desk.

"Why are you telling this woman anything? You don't know enough about her." I rolled my eyes,

"You're one to talk! What about the first time I met _you_ for Heaven's sake you drank my blood and then I wake up to find you in the same bed as me!" Ikuto glared. I knew he wanted to say "that was different" but he could not.

I glanced over to my clock. It read 11:32 pm. I jumped when I heard someone knocking on my door. Taking a deep breath to calm myself I shooed Ikuto out of my room onto my balcony where he was to hide in the shadows, and went to open the door.

"Welcome." I whispered, shutting the door quickly and silently behind my grandmother. She smiled and sat down. Looking up at me with those golden eyes of hers she said,

"Thank you. Now you'll start from the beginning! And don't edit out any of the bloody parts! I can take it." I sighed and sat down. Then I began my tale. I talked of my ghosts first, and then I started mentioning the Guardians a little. My work with Easter came up here and there, though I didn't mention Easter's name. Suddenly I was off on a rant on my entire life, smoothly working around the details about Ikuto. We'd get to him later I was sure.

"So your partner... your ghosts said she's being possessed?"

"Yes. My ghosts say she has a demonic and angelic presence. What does that mean?" I wondered.

"It means that that girl somehow lost her soul, or maybe her soul weakened, anyway now there's room for another being and two spirits are fighting for her body. I've heard stories of people getting possessed by demons and people getting 'blessed' with the spirits of angels, so perhaps your partner has the both. Only I've never believed the whole 'blessed' shit. Possessing is possessing no matter what."

"So she's being possessed by an angel and a demon? ...That would explain a lot." I muttered. My grandmother nodded as if we were discussing the main conflict of a book and not real people.

"Yes, and I'd say if it goes on too long that girl's going to be in some trouble."

"Do you think she knows?"

"Most likely. She seems to know enough to be able to use her powers effectively."

"What should I do?" I asked. I was worried. I didn't exactly want to work with a demon, but I also wasn't sure how I felt about having an angel for a partner either. My grandma leaned back in her pink chair.

"Why should you do anything? It's none of your business. 'Sides this is a chance for you to learn a lot about possessings and demons and angels. So let the girl be." I bit my lip.

"I don't know... it feels wrong." I looked at my carpeted floor, "I didn't just ignore Ikuto." I added to myself.

"Ikuto? Don't tell me... you're vampire friend who's standing outside?" my grandma asked. I gasped, watching her smirk widen, "Yep, thought so. Now be a good little granddaughter and tell me about your friend."

"...I'm sorry grandmother but there's not much to tell... you knowing that he exists, that he's a vampire and that he's my boyfriend is enough." Grandma glared,

"How did you meet?" she demanded.

"He was starving when I tripped and cut myself. He drank my blood, but he didn't bite me. He never bites his victims." My grandmother cocked an eyebrow,

"Purebloods usually aren't so considerate... purebloods are usually surrounded by second level vampires and their pureblood family, but this one... was his family destroyed?"

"D-destroyed?" I inquired. My grandma nodded solemnly.

"It's a darn shame. There's some kind of secret agency that wants to control all the supernatural creatures. They claim its to protect the humans and purify the world, but really all it wants is power. When a group of pureblood vampire families came together to try and stop it they were killed. Many of their followers were also massacred. So did your boyfriend escape the killings?" I avert my eyes from her gaze.

"Ask him." I decided. I knew Ikuto would hear me. I heard the door move open and slam closed. There was the rustling sound as he moved.

I looked up, my eyes widening at the sight in front of me. Ikuto stood in front of my _grandmother_ with a protective stance in front of me. He glared as if she was some kind of threat. He was glaring at my _grandmother_. His brow furrowed in rage he growled,

"Why the fuck should I trust you?" My grandma smiled sweetly.

"Because I'm your lover's grandmother!" Ikuto's expression faltered for a second.

"I haven't done anything like that to her! I'm just her boyfriend."

"For now." I blushed. My grandmother had a perverted mind! She smirked and inquired with a kind voice,

"So? Are you going to take a seat or growl at me like an angry kitten the whole time."

"That depends if you're going to answer _my_ questions." Again my grandmother's smirk grew larger.

"Of course. Go ahead."

"Fine then," Ikuto sat on the floor next to me, "One: Why are you so interested in this kind of stuff? The supernatural things humans tend to shun."

"That's easy. Life is like a monotone song without such fascinating creatures!"

"Two: Who trained you? Even with very strong power no one can tell the difference between pureblood vampires and level two vampires without being trained."

"When I was young I was taught by a man by the name Master Jacob."

"I see... okay, the single most important question. Question three: do you work for Easter?" My grandma smirked.

"Only part time."

**Angel Kukai: What the FUCK?**

**Author: XD what'll happen next**

**Rima: **_**You**_** don't know? You're the author!**

**Author: This story is in trouble I guess... oh yeah when you'd get here?**

**Rima: *Rolls eyes * I've only had like one scene in this stupid fanfic! So I'll be here with you and Angel Kukai until I get a scene.**

**Author: ok, hot chocolate?**

**Rima: Don't mind if I do.**

**Daichi: Thanks for reading!**

**Kusukusu: We don't own shugo chara hehehehehe!**

**Yoru: Please review NYA!**


	19. A Nostalgic Feeling

_Previously, in chapter 18:_

"_Question three: do you work for Easter?" My grandma smirked,_

"_Only part time."_

Chapter 19: A Nostalgic Feeling

Blankly, I stared as the emotions on Ikuto's face became hateful and angry while my grandmother seemed contempt.

"W-why? You love supernatural things!" I protested. My grandma turned to me and smiled,

"Joining Easter was a chance for me to learn more about the supernatural. It was the chance of a lifetime. For you though... it was just a way to survive am I right? Because Easter is looking for a certain pureblood loner." Grandma's smirk was twisted and almost mocking as she asked, "That pureblood is you, no?"

Ikuto, with a look of pure hatred on his face, grabbed my grandmother by the neck and shoved her against my wall.

"Are you on a mission?" he demanded.

"No." she answered, I saw his grip tighten slightly as he asked,

"Are you going to turn me in?"

"Maybe" she choked. Ikuto's arm swung back, sending my grandma to the floor. He turned, a horrible scowl plastered on his normally beautiful face.

"I'd kill you! But I can't hurt anyone related to Amu in front of her!"

"At least you care about my granddaughter." My grandmother muttered as she shakily stood up. Ikuto put his foot on her back preventing her from standing,

"The question is, do _you_ care about your granddaughter?" he growled. My grandma hesitated to answer.

"G-grandmother." I stuttered, finally speaking, "Y-you do care don't you? About me? Don't you love me?" I was on the verge of crying. My grandma looked up sorrowfully.

"Of course I love you, Amu-chan! I'm proud of you too! You've done so well!"

"Th-then why would you hurt Ikuto?"

"A-Amu..." she whispered, "I... it would raise my position Amu. I'd be able to learn more! Then maybe I'd be able to find the Embryo! I'd be able to look into that what comes in the afterlife and understand the powers of spirits! I'd be able to _know_, Amu." my shoulders started shaking,

"And your wish is so much better than anyone else's? Is it worth someone's _life_?" I demanded. The questions felt nostalgic somehow. My grandmother stared, mouth agape,

"Y-you don't deserve to have what you want if you're not willing to fight for it." grandma replied.

"FIGHT BY YOURSELF!" I yelled at her, tears flowing down my rosy cheeks, my pink hair falling across my face, "DON'T TAKE WHAT'S NOT RIGHTFULLY YOURS! DON'T RUIN EVERYTHING! BECAUSE... because if-if you do... I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" I grabbed my grandmother's wrist and shoved her out my door. Slamming it in her face I said between sobs,

"Stay away from me! Just get out of here! Just get out of here!" I continued to sob. When I looked up I glimpsed Ikuto's head of blue hair before he jumped from my balcony. Sobbing some more I crawled into my bed, and tried to sleep. Mercifully it came fast.

Like those nights before I had that dream. Dia, and Utau, and the X Dia were all there. I was in the black abyss. I was drowning in the blood. There was so much blood. I thought I knew where it was coming from though. It was coming from Tsukasa wasn't it? It had been to warn me about Tsukasa's suicide right? I wasn't so sure, but I desperately wanted that to be the case, because if it wasn't I thought I might die from not knowing what it really meant.

As I gave in and let of red liquid engulf me, I suddenly felt something warm clasp around my hand. It felt gentle and strong. I wias pulled up to the surface and saw Kukai's smiling face. He was standing. I looked down. There were only a few puddles of blood left on the ground. I looked back up at Kukai's smile. He seemed just as good-willed as ever.

"K-Kukai?" I murmured. He grinned even wider and nodded. I stood up shakily and wrapped my skinny arms around his neck. "KUKAI! KUKAI! I'M SO SORRY!!!!!" I wailed.

"I love you Amu." he said. I felt a pang of guilt. I wanted to just revel in the glory of being with him again, but I couldn't let him think we were still together, because in my mind swam memories of Ikuto. The mere thought of Ikuto made me all hot and my heart beat really fast.

_Ikuto. Ikuto. Ikuto. I love you._ My mind called out. Suddenly I felt something cold on my neck. I yelped in surprise. Something snaked around my waist and pulled me backwards. Kukai stepped away from me. Shock, fear, and resentment filled his eyes. I looked behind me best I could to see Ikuto. His blue hair tickled my face and his beautiful blue eyes kept flashing red. His fangs were sunk deep into my flesh. I heard the drip, drip, drip sound of blood.

That's when I started screaming. I was screaming for a good part of my dream when I was awoken by something shaking me. I felt hands clasped around my shoulders and I distantly heard my ghosts' worried voices.

"Amu-chan! AMU-CHAN!" they yelled. I opened my eyes groggily. When I saw Ikuto's worried face I flinched and instinctively covered my neck with my hands.

I was still half asleep, and I thought I was still dreaming, or I don't know. I don't know why I did what I did. Maybe I was upset because dream him drove off dream Kukai. Maybe I was scared. Maybe I really thought this, but no matter what the reason I said, and afterwards instantly regretted it, "Monster." my voice was high and clear. It was definite, like I was stating a fact, and yet held enough fear to make Ikuto look as if he was about to cry. For a split second his lips quivered and he flinched. Then he got off my bed and ran from my room just as I yelled after him,

"IKUTO! NO WAIT!" Tears welled in my eyes and I brought my legs to my chest, letting myself cry a little. I blinked. In the second of darkness I saw blood. Again I blinked, more rapidly this time, now fighting the tears. In those moments of darkness I felt pain shoot through my spine, and then nothing but blood. I hugged my knees tighter.

"Kukai. Ikuto." I sobbed.

**Author: DX Ikuto nooooooooooo!**

**Rima: you wrote it**

**Author: So just because I wrote it I can't fangirl over it? That's stupid!**

**Rima: *shrugs**

**Author: KUUUUUUKAAAAIIIIII IIIIKUTOOOOOOOO! DX**


	20. A Dead Man's Letter

**Author's Note: Sorry for not updating quickly. And please, whenever you're bored or feel like it, i don't know, read Heart's Soul, currently I only have a preview of chap 1, but im working hard so that I **_**might**_** update everyday! :D yay spring break! It's the final of the Amuto Island trilogy. Its going to be epicness so PLEASE READ!!!! (also im pretty sure St. Patrick's Day won't really be in it at all) And read Saku: Lunar Eclipse by faerygirl14. Its really really good!**

Chapter 20: A Dead Guy's Letter

"Amu! Get a hold of yourself!" Ran shouted at me as I continued to whimper.

"I don't wanna!" I yelled back pulling my blankets over my head.

"YOU HAVE SCHOOL TODAY MORON!" Miki growled.

"How can I go to school when I've lost Kukai and now Ikuto too!" I cried.

"Ugh! _We'll_ go find Ikuto! Yoru's with him and ghosts can find other ghosts so just go to school and let _us_ worry about it!" I popped my head out from my shield of comforters and quilts. Desperately wiping the tears from my eyes I muttered,

"Fine. Do what you want." Shakily I got out of bed and changed.

I walked to school, seeing the gray clouds threatening rain, I hurried to a jog. I got into school, put my shoes in my shoe locker, and went to my classroom. Since the weather was bad there were large crowds of kids in the corridors and the classrooms. I didn't have to worry though. People normally kept away from me on a normal day and today I must have had a terribly dark expression because my peers squished themselves against walls to make way for me.

I turned a corner. There were two older girls gossiping with each other.

"Did you see that new teacher for the sixth grade star class?" the taller one asked.

"YEAH YEAH!" the silvery haired one responded, "She's so scary! I walked into her class to say hi to my sister and she never stopped staring at me! I thought I was going to die!"

"You're lucky I heard some kid walk in front of her and got suspended!"

"No way!" the silver haired girl gasped. I walked on, even if it was my class that got the new teacher it didn't matter to me. Those things those girls had said were just rumors.

I stepped through the door to my classroom. Surprisingly I only saw three kids there. They sat in their seats, shyly but studiously working. I looked over at the desk and gasped.

My grandmother was writing things on the whiteboard. MY GRANDMOTHER. I almost burst into tears. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. She turned around and smirked. Her sleek gray hair was tide up in a tight bun and she wore one of those flower-patterned dresses that were stereotypical old lady clothes.

"Hinamori Amu, yes?" she asked. I glared up at her, _this_ was why she was here. _This_ was her mission with Easter. But why?

"We'll talk later." I muttered under my breath. With her smirk still visible on her face, she nodded.

My Grandmother called me over. Like an innocent old lady she sat on a bench feeding a crowd of birds. Sitting down next to her I prayed Easter would continue to not know we're related.

"Is this why you decided to visit?"

"Yep, my mission with Easter is here." she replied casually. I got up, that was all I needed to hear. Before I was out of earshot I whispered,

"Whoever you're here to kill, get done quickly and get out." But, as I was about to take another step, she muttered darkly,

"But what if I'm here to kill you?" I turned to her,

"Then we will have a problem. But Easter wouldn't kill me. I still have value and I work for cheap."

"I see." she replied and I finally escaped from her gaze. It was lunch, and I was relieved because the whole class time grandma had been such a bother. One kid had received detention during the first five minutes. She had stubbed her toe against her desk, and according to my grandmother "caused a disturbance". Four more kids had been banned for the day from the classroom before the period was up.

As I was walking aimlessly, heading further and further from the school, I spotted something, but I wasn't sure... _It can't be!_

A tall, skinny blue haired figure was leaning against a pagoda tree. He was staring off to space. I slowed my pace and crept towards him. I was confused as he didn't move.

"After what I said... surely he knows I'm here? Why isn't he just leaving?" I asked the sky.

_Does he want to talk?_ _What if he's hurt and can't move? Ikuto... why are you here anyway?_ I made it over to the tree. He still stood against its soft gray wood. I leaned on the other side of the tree. There was a long silence where I heard nothing of the rattling leaves in the wind or the small chirping of birds overhead only my racing heart. I took a deep breath. It was too quick and too loud, but it was slightly calming.

"I didn't mean what I said," I began, "I was having another nightmare... I was so scared of it... I – I'm sorry. Look at me! All I'm saying it 'me, me, me' over and over!" I hesitated for a moment, "Ikuto say something."

"What's there to say? I'm just a monster. I killed my own family because I couldn't bare a little pain! I'm a fugitive and I led an innocent girl into the abyss where I lived! And for what? So I wouldn't be lonily? Now you don't have freedom. I don't have freedom—"

"Then it's okay because we can be trapped together!" I interjected, but I knew he wouldn't like that.

"No Amu. I'd rather you be free."

"But Ikuto... if you hadn't come along and taught me about Easter and everything I would have the strength I have now! Look at me! I kill demons and rogue ghosts on a regular basis! I'm in the best physical condition of my life and I know some much more than before. Now I've seen the light of the world and the dark of the world."

"Do you think you can really see so far into the depths of darkness and not get dragged in?" Ikuto demanded.

"But... if I can see at all into the darkness that means there must be some light!"

"Weak light soaked in blood!" he retorted angrily. I didn't feel angry though; I felt sad. I'd dropped into darkness before, but it had been just the outer rim. Maybe now I really had dropped into complete darkness. But then why could I feel so happy?

"Ikuto... you can't see the good in yourself very clearly. You're letting the shadows caused by light to block your view of what is shining in front of you!" _Ugh! This metaphor is kind of confusing_. I thought to myself.

"The only thing shining in front of me is you Amu. But I turned away. I can't let myself taint you any further! I've scarred you enough!"

"Stop being a baby!" I yelled, finally feeling anger. I went to the other side of the tree. He hadn't moved an inch. Shadow from the leaves fell across his face. _This is perfect!_ I grabbed his wrist and pulled him out with me to stand where the shadow met the bright sunlight, "Stupid! You're eyes just haven't adjusted to the light!" I smirked. He looked around him. I knew he was taking in the colors of the flowers and the glorious light gray clouds.

"We both have to try harder to stand on the edge of both worlds!" I exclaimed and then pointed to the ground where the darker, shadow covered grass met the bright green grass, "If shadows and sunlight can live peacefully together why can't we?"

"If you stand on the edge to long, you're bound to fall off. Standing on both edges will just cause you to freefall into nothingness."

"Or maybe there is something between darkness and light, something only people who're living there can see." I pointed out.

"It probably isn't good." Ikuto muttered.

"Well no one ever said it was bad!" I replied and then murmured, "For a pessimist I'm pretty optimistic."

"For an optimist I'm pretty pessimistic sometimes." Ikuto replied. I smiled brightly. I got him to make a joke, which meant he was close to giving up. Turning around I started running back to school – I was a long ways away – and over my shoulder I called,

"Then remember to come home okay?"

When I arrived back in the school I suddenly remember Tsukasa. He had said something about "his office". I looked at the clock that hung above where I stood, and realized I still had plenty of time before classes began again. So instead of heading back to my classroom I ran to Tsukasa's office. The door was unlocked.

Quietly as possible I entered. He had a soft carpet floor and glass door cabinets lining the walls. Inside the cabinets were various knickknacks. I went over to his desk. There were some pens and a book on it, but everything seemed fairly clean. I pushed back the dark thoughts that were creeping into my head,

_He'd known all along_.

_NO! DON'T THINK THAT!_ I yelled at myself. Shakily I pushed aside his chair and opened the top drawer of Tsukasa's desk. There was a white envelope with elegant writing on it.

"Hinamori-chan" I gasped.

_He'd known all along_.

I grabbed the envelope and opened it. Inside there was a smaller envelope that read, "Yaya" and then there was a folded piece of paper. I glanced at the small digital clock on his desk. There was still time.

Sitting in his chair I opened the sheet of paper. In Tsukasa's beautiful handwriting it read,

"Dear Hinamori-chan,

If you are reading this I'm dead. First of all please give Yaya that envelope; she will be needing a new home.

Second, if my premonitions are correct your partner is a girl with a lost soul. Also I know you are involved with a vampire named Tsukiyomi Ikuto. I know him as well. I rescued him from Easter once before. We have spent some years together, but in the end he decided he would leave. He is a good boy, Amu, but he's also dangerous. Be warned, his desire to kill may not be as under control as you may think.

The girl who is your partner is an orphan, like Yaya. She's also a little sister, like Yaya. The girl who is your partner isn't just any orphan though. When her family was murdered she was adopted by Director of Easter, Mr. Hoshina. He doesn't know this, but Ikuto is Utau Hoshina's brother. Or he used to be until he made that wish.

The Embryo won't leave Ikuto alone for long. It will keep trying to get him to find Utau. Once he sees that girl, she might as well have been born a vampire.

Don't let this scare you though. Wasn't it you who did or will say 'If you can see at all in the darkness there must be some light'?

Sincerest Regards,

Amakawa Tsukasa

PS. Destroy this message."

My grip on the letter tightened, crumpling the divinely written words. I looked around and spotted a conveniently placed shredder. Immediately I plugged it in and ran it through. Then I opened it up, took the bits of paper that were once the letter and shredded them again. After that I took out the box of matches I always had with me and set fire to the little bits. Then I took their ashes and tossed them in a garbage can.

Once I was done I grabbed the envelope for Yaya and headed back to class. Everyone had underestimted Tsukasa. My footsteps slowed.

_If he knew all that, then why did he have to die? Don't people say knowledge is power?_

_No._ I replied to my own thought, _Knowing things like that... with such clarity... its a curse. Just like how I see death. I can see how people died! But the thing keeping me sane... it was Kukai and Ikuto. You might have thought it would've been my wish for Dia to return but... that's so scar—_

_Don't think it! You want that! You want Dia back!_

_Dia where are you? Are you alive yet? Are you at least undead? Even if you come back as a ghost, I wouldn't really care. Dia..._

_You don't want Dia back._ An annoying voice stated in my head.

_Shut up!_

**Angel Kukai: Ikuto told her about his past already! She should've figured it out!**

**Author: *sigh * it never really came up...**

**Angel Kukai: You know you haven't updated for a while**

**Author *tears well in eyes * I. I. I. I KNOW!!!!!! *chibi crying * I've let you all down**

***runs to room continues crying**

**Angel Kukai: *sweat drop * uh.... :D she doesn't own shugo chara**

**Rima: *sips hot chocolate * thank you for reading**

**Kusukusu, Yoru, and Daichi: PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!**


	21. A Blackout

Chapter 21: A Blackout

The bell for the ending of school rang like a holy hymn, but my relief was killed swiftly as my grandma continued lecturing the class. One kid – that poor brave soul – tried to get up. My grandmother took out a ruler and smacked him with a thundering "thwack". Everyone else in the class sat stalk still.

"You may not go! The lesson isn't over." My grandma then continued. She was ranting about math and some sort of equation. No one protested, but I knew everyone was devastated that they had to suffer like this for longer than mandatory.

I looked out my window. The stupid sun was already beginning its descent. Clouds were rolling in, and so I knew it'd be dark soon.

"HINAMORI! PAY ATTENTION!" the ruler caught the side of my head audibly. The entire class gasped despite themselves. I had to act quickly. As far as those kids knew _no one_ did that to Hinamori Amu and got away with it.

Catching my grandma's eye with a meaningful look I shoved my chair aside. As it clattered to the ground, echoing in the class's silence I yelled,

"What's your problem lady? You might not have anything better to do than to lecture kids for _hours_, but I, at least, do! I want to get home to my family and my dinner!" Then I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and started to walk out the door when something hard slapped painfully across my back. I looked behind me. Grandmother was holding the yardstick like a sword.

Reaching around I grabbed a (conveniently placed) different yardstick and exclaimed, "Engarde then!" The two of us started battling with the rulers. Neither of us held back, which meant my arms were stinging from the continuous beating.

As the class watched in awe the sun fell lower and lower along the horizon. I saw the meaningful look in my grandma's eye. This was what needed to happen then. I defended myself from her strike again. _If this helps her get out of here quicker than so be it!_

"SMACK!" the sound echoed through the classroom. My grandma had slapped me forcefully across the face with the broad side of a yardstick. I dropped my ruler and staggered back.

"OFF WITH YA YOU MISBEHAVING BRAT!" my grandmother cried. I took that as my queue to turn and leave, but before that could happen I was suddenly surrounded in darkness. Everything was utterly black.

I heard squeals and questioning cries from around me; that told me everyone else could see it too and it wasn't just some weird vision. It was a blackout, but the sun had already set so everything in the class was dark. I took out a match, lighting it swiftly.

"Figures Hinamori Amu has a match! The girl's a trouble maker!" A girl named Yamabuki Saaya jeered.

"Hinamori Amu! Cool & Spicy!" the majority of the class cheered. I looked around, casting the match's light around the room. Everyone seemed to be there... except.

"Hey! Where'd that teacher go?" an oblivious boy questioned. A terrible scream erupted from a short girl with long brown hair. I heard cackling from beside her. A different girl, who had amber eyes and black hair in a high ponytail, was smiling wickedly.

"Check the doors, you'll find them locked no doubt. It seems we have demons in our mists!"

I wanted to smack that girl. What a poser. Do you know how annoying it is when you actually do have visions and can see ghosts and someone like _that_ comes along and people actually fall for their little act? They know nothing, and if that girl had seen what I'd seen, she'd have died of fright by now, I could guarantee it.

Like the Cool & Spicy person everyone thought I was I pointed at a nerdy boy in the front row, "You! Check the doors!" I barked. The class was silent until the kid's nervous voice echoed against the walls,

"T-they're l-locked."

"Fuck." I muttered. All at once the students fell into chaos. Chairs and desks fell over. People were banging against windows and screaming as if their lives depended on it. I took that change to grabbed Tadase, who was in my class, by the neck and drag him to a corner. On the way I grabbed Nagihiko as well.

"Is this one of your ghosts?"

"Of course not!" Nagihiko said immediately, "There isn't any kind of presence like that! No everything feels normal!"

"Except _nothing_ is normal because we'd got a class of sixth graders trapped in a classroom during a blackout and the substitute teacher mysteriously dissapeared!" I growled.

"Nagihiko, are you sure you don't sense _anything_?" Tadase inquired. Nagihiko shook his head.

"I only sense abnormalities in us three and some of the students, but that's just normal."

"Well then we have to see which abnormal student is causing this!" I hissed at the both of them, "At this rate these kids are going to riot!" I felt the heat of the match as it got closer to my fingers.

"SOMEONE GET ME A CANDLE BEFORE I KICK ALL YOUR ASSES!" I shouted over my shoulder. I heard yelps of terror and people scrambling to find a candle. Finally a kid from the arts and crafts club handed me the candle I'd seen her making with the rest of them one afternoon.

"Thanks." I muttered. It was kind of her to lend such a well made piece to someone who'd just shouted, get me a candle before I kick your ass. Setting it on the desk and lighting it with the match I finally got rid of that stupid burning sensation in my fingers.

"Okay! Everyone sit down! I'm sure this isn't anything but some kind of misunderstanding!" I shouted over the noise, trying to convince even myself that there was a reasonable explanation for all this, "The custodians probably locked us in because we were kept so late, and the substitute, who is clearly scared of the dark fled out a back way."

"What back way? We checked all three doors!" an anonymous voice rang above the rest.

"She probably went out the main door and locked us all inside, that bitch!" another shouted.

"SILENCE!" that amber eyed girl from before screeched. She started pacing up and down the aisles of desks, "Back to your seats! All of you!" she hissed menacingly. There was a loud clatter of moving desks and chairs as people begrudgingly got back in their seats. I smirked. _Impressive, she's almost as good as me_. I leaned against the wall. _That girl, Koizumi Akane, is infamous in the school. Everyone believes she really is in contact with "spirits of the beyond" she is known amongst the students as the Red Witch of Seiyo Academy. This'll be interesting_.

"I have long ago suspected foul play and wandering spirits in this academy, but recently I sense the unwelcome stench of death licking at my ear drums!" I wanted to laugh, sensing a stench licking your ear drums? I knew she was just a wanna-be, but her words were to funny to get angry at.

"Now that night has come and fresh youth breath within the belly of the school there will surely be spirits coming attack us!"

"So are you saying whatever it is got that teacher?" someone asked. "Thank god!" a boy in the back shouted. Akane whipped around to face the questioner.

"NO! I'm saying that that substitute is not a victim! BUT A PERPETRATOR!" I wanted to burst into a fit of giggles. I could just see the dramatic lightning and thunder just like she probably saw it in her head.

As if sensing my thoughts there was a bolt of lightning. For a brief moment the dim light from the candle blinked out. That split second of darkness suddenly had my heart racing.

"Amu... you sense something don't you?" Nagihiko asked, gently putting his hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at him and Tadase,

"Neither of you _know_ death like I do." I commented. My entire body started shaking, "Then I'll tell you... death is here." those last three words echoed condemningly. Every face turned towards me. Akane, her expression was a mixture of annoyance and fear.

"Hinamori Amu. _You_ can see the spirits?" I suddenly felt an odd impulse. _They should know! They should all know at least the minimum of what I can tell them_.

"Yes—" I began walking down to the front of the class. I brought the candle with me, "but mostly I know death. I have never died, but if ever I meet anyone that has died, I see how." As I continued talking I let my voice become darker: terrifying. For the first time since that night I realized my ability could be used to save someone. These students. Death was here. But it didn't need or want them all. It only needed one. _But will you really give him that one he needs?_ I asked myself. _No, but I will protect those he doesn't need._ was my reply.

I let my unique power flourish around me for the first time ever. I actually tried to use it and I realized that with practice I had the potential to be powerful like Nagihiko or Tsukasa or Yaya. Even with this power of death I could protect everyone I cared about.

Then I felt it. Death. Its footsteps were near the middle row of desks. My blood ran cold. I saw the flashes of bloodstains.

"SOMEONE'S BEEN TAKEN ALREADY!" I cried nearly dropping the candle.

Before my words could even really sink in the class exploded into chaos. Everyone was screaming and shouting desks and chairs fell over again. Through the candlelight I noticed Akane staggering backwards.

"Mikan! Where are you!" I heard a boy calling. I looked over. It was Sasaki Haru the brother of Sasaki Mikan. I stepped closer to Nagihiko, whispering in his ear,

"Mikan... was she one of those _abnormals_?"

"No... she wasn't, neither is her brother... wait, why are you using the past tense!?"

"because—" I increased the volume of my voice, "MIKAN WAS THE ONE TAKEN!"

"NOOOOO!" There were many crashing sounds and Haru was grabbing me by the collar, "YOU'RE A LIAR! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD!" he turned away from me, "MIKAN! MIKAN! IT'S OKAY, DON'T BE SCARED! COME OUT! COME OUT!" I put my hand on his shoulder,

"Calm down! You have to be strong! We ALL have to be strong!" I yelled above the noise." then I walked over the door.

"Let's at least find Mikan's corpse! If we stay here we're as good as fish in a barrel here!" I did an elaborate spinning kick, knocking the door off of its hinges.

One breathe of the air outside that door and I collapsed instantly.

"ACK!" I gasped. I heard Nagihiko grunt in pain. I shook myself. _If he can fight off the pain, so can you!_ "Damn!" I muttered as I slowly stood up, with the help of the doorframe.

"Hinamori-senpai!" some of my classmates cried. I didn't have time to worry about why they were suddenly calling me senpai.

"It's okay! It just reeks of death! I can't really handle it."

"Uh... uh! ack! ack! It burns!" I heard Akane suddenly cry. I gritted my teeth. What a scam artist!

I held up my candle to look out into the hallway. The sight wasn't pleasant at all. My arm started shaking. My voice was shrill as I broke the silence,

"OH MY GOD!"

Blood was smeared across the wall with Mikan's broken body lying on the floor tiles underneath. Haru came to my side. Dropping to his knees and tears rolling down his cheeks he screamed,

"MIKAN! NOOO—" his "no" would've dragged on longer but he choked. The rest of the class gathered around us. I shut my eyes trying not to see the blood or hear the screaming.

**Author: I guess this counts as a cliff hanger.... anyway it was getting too long so now its in parts. XD creepy right? :D i figured I'd put in a poser (Akane) because if **_**you**_** could see ghosts and death and stuff wouldn't you just **_**hate**_** people who pretend they can? So please review!**

**Angel Kukai: HEY! WAIT! I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SAY ANYTHING—**

**Rima: she doesn't own shugo chara**

**Angel Kukai: WAIT! LET ME SAY SOMETHING—**

**Daichi: thanks for reading!**

**Angel Kukai: *chibi tears * not you too! my own chara!**


	22. A Bloody Chrysanthemum

**A/N: If you read Amuto Island then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read Heart's Soul!!!!! PLEASE!!!! I UPDATE EVERYDAY!!! **

Chapter 22: A Bloody Chrysanthemum

"We don't have time to sit here!" I told the class as Nagihiko tried to comfort Haru. "We need to find somewhere where there might be candles or something!" I said as I tried to urge everyone out of the classroom.

"Is that your plan? Get light?" Tadase asked in disbelief.

"What else can I do?" I turned to glare at him, "These kids have no idea or ability to fight off a phantom!"

"Some of them have the potential to! Nagihiko said so!"

"Those who could are suspects." I retorted seriously. Why was this happening in school of all places.

I led the way to a supply closet. I could tell everyone could feel the danger even if Nagihiko and I were the only one's who really understood. Taking out all the emergency flashlights I could get my hands on easily.

Handing a flashlight randomly to students within the crowd I explained.

"We'll split up into groups of five. The larger the groups the better, but too large and keeping track of everyone will become impossible. So everyone who doesn't have a flashlight find someone who does! Flashlight people, you are now the leaders of your group!"

"But! But!" stuttered a gangly kid towards the middle of the crowd. He held a flashlight. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and glared at him, our faces only inches apart.

"No whining!" I yelled, "We're all involved in this now! You have a flashlight! You're now responsible for everyone in your group!" I pushed the kid back, "EVERYONE UNDERSTAND ME!?"

"Yes m'ame!" the class exclaimed, rushing to find a group. I went to Haru and Nagihiko,

"You're in my group along with Tadase." I told the two. Nagihiko nodded in agreement. I felt a tugging on the arm of my jacket.

"Hinamori-senpai..." it was a girl with maroon eyes and mahogany hair. Her name was Yamamoto Kiku. She half smiled at me.

"Can I be in your group?" she asked. I grinned worriedly.

"Sure." She returned my partial smile with a lovable grin,

"Gee, thanks!"

The groups split up. Each group was to see if they could find a way out of the building. I could feel in my bones thought that we weren't getting out of here so easily. As my group walked along the halls we checked some of the windows. Haru was now bent on revenge and Kiku was too distracted with asking me questions about my powers to be scared.

"Hinamori you really are always getting rid of spirits like this?" Kiku exclaimed. I sighed. I'd managed to slip and mentioned something that happened with Easter. Luckily I hadn't managed to completely blow my cover so Nagihiko and Tadase were still not aware of just _how_ often I dealt with this stuff.

"Kind of. The more ghosts your have around you, the more ghosts will come.:

"So that's why you're always acting strange!" Kiku exclaimed.

"I'm not _that_ strange... but yes, there are four ghosts who haunt me."

"Four ghosts?" Tadase and Kiku asked, surprised.

"My original three ghosts attracted a fourth."

"Oh!"

I continued walking. Haru held a flashlight, but it was a smaller one so I was also using my candle. It was a good thing I was. Suddenly the lightbulb flickered out. I turned around to see Haru shaking it up and down angrily.

"It broke!" he exclaimed. Suddenly the whole thing split into pieces. Haru jumped back.

"A—" I covered my hand over his mouth before he could cry out.

"Don't scream. It'll only bring death closer." I muttered darkly, "The best thing to do is to stay still for a while."

"Are you crazy! We should keep moving!" Haru shouted. I glared at him.

"When prey runs away it only motivates the predator." I growled, "That's why so many animals use playing dead as a defense mechanism!"

"So we just sit here?" Kiku asked, I nodded, and then she grinned. Giving me a thumbs up she cheered, "I'm good with that!"

"Be serious!" Tadase yelled, "Aren't you scared at all." Kiku blinked and then she smiled even brighter, tackling me with a hug,

"Hinamori-senpai will save us Tadase-kun! You don't have to be scared anymore!"

"I'M NOT SCARED!" he shouted at her. Kiku only laughed. I sighed, wishing my ghosts were here, but they didn't know what was happening. They were off searching for Ikuto, who I'd already found.

"Hinamori-san, what do you mean by death?" Haru asked suddenly.

"...I meant something living passing on." I replied.

"So... we're not dealing with some kind of grim reaper, but we're dealing with a phantom that just wants to kill?"

"That's basically correct." I answered. Haru cracked his knuckles,

"Good! That'll be easier to destroy!" Suddenly I felt something spike in the air. It was a kind of intense aura. I gripped the side of my head as my skull began to burn.

Blood. Lots of blood. A river of it. Coming around the corner. No use. No meaning. Another mindless killing.

"It's closing in on another victim!" I yelled and started running forward. "C'mon!" I shouted over my shoulder. Like in horror movies. _Never leave the group_.

I knew my group was following by the sound of their footsteps. I knew I was nearing the victim by the scent of coming blood.

"Hey do you hear that?" There was a voice around the corner.

"Quick someone grab something to hit it with!" yelled a slightly scared voice. I skid around the corner, my hands raised above my head.

"Stop! It's just me!" I yelled. I recognized Akane and that gangly kid from before. Akane dropped the text book she was going to hit me with.

"Oh! Hinamori! What are you—" I didn't let her finish. I leapt forward, seeing the disturbance in the air, smelling a more intense scent of blood and death.

"Run!" I shouted at the group as I pulled a mini bomb from my pocket. It wasn't a normal bomb, it was meant to distort the plasma substance that allowed ghosts stability in this world. Therefore it only hurt spirits.

"Get the hell out of here!" I yelled at the thing as I saw its outline. It was the shape of a young boy. I didn't get a good look at his face though before the bomb hit the floor and activated. The phantom distorted, I heard the pained cry of a boy. Energy shot from the phantom.

"Amu!" Many voices shouted at once. I heart Kiku's voice mixed in with Haru's and Tadase's and Nagihiko's. There was another voice though. A more surprising voice. I hadn't felt the energy hit me yet so I looked up from where I'd been pushed back onto the floor. In front of me stood a tall, light brown haired boy with green eyes.

"KUKAI!"

"How's— it going?" he grunted, pushing back the energy from the spirit. He shouted something and suddenly the aura of a wolf swarmed everywhere. I could smell its fur, and hear its baying. The phantom cried out and flew up through the ceiling to the floor above. I looked back at Kukai, staring.

"Kukai! How..." I moved closer, but he held up his hand. His eyes were solemn.

"I'm a ghost Amu."

"S-so? You still saved me... You came back!" I wanted to throw my arms around him but there was suddenly a cry of terror from behind me. I turned to look back only to nearly fall over with shock. There was a pool of blood. And there was Kiku. I looked back at Kukai. _So that's who Kiku reminded me of_. I looked back at the girl who I had thought might be a good friend.

"I'll find that thing Amu, go to that girl. I can tell you two wanted to be friends." Kukai said. I looked back at him with tears dripping down the sides of my cheeks. Clumsily I scrambled towards her.

"Kiku! Kiku!" I reached her. Blood was spilling from the side of her stomach. Her maroon eyes had a half dead look in them, but she grinned all the same.

"Oh hey Amu."

"Kiku! How can you still smile? You're going to die! Why aren't you scared? YOU'RE BLOOD IS IN PUDDLES ON THE SCHOOL FLOOR DAMMIT!" I screamed.

"But... blood is so beautiful. And... having a bloody death, its natural isn't it? Blood is created in the body... and eventually everything must separate from its creator right? Like a child must leave their parents and a fruit must fall from the tree, eventually blood must spill from the body. So why is it, do you think people fear blood so much?"

"BECAUSE NORMAL PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DIE!" I yelled at her. She just smiled blissfully. I could felt something disappear in the air around me. "YOU IDIOT! YOU IDIOT!"

"Ok. Now that thing's going to pay." Haru muttered. I looked up at everyone crowded around Kiku.

"It's not that simple. The phantom is someone in our class."

"W-what!?" A girl from Akane's group asked.

"But if you knew that why'd you split us into groups! That guy'll have killed his entire group by now!" the gangly kid yelled. The rest of the kids started talking too. I shut my eyes. Suddenly there was energy above us. It was vengeful and frightening. Like someone breathing down your neck with slow, heavy breathes.

"SHUT UP!" I shouted. Looking up towards the ceiling. Then I whispered, "Nagihiko, aim an attack right above my head!" Nagihiko seemed hesitant but then I yelled under my breath, "_NOW_"

Nagihiko made a sign with his hand and he started glowing. The rest of the students backed up, gasping. Nagihiko backed up a step and sent a shimmering beam into the ceiling panel above my head.

The was a wretched howl of pain, and a dark figure phased down through the ceiling. Its energy burst around it. Nagihiko sent another bright beam at it, Tadase threw a golden septer that had come out of now where, and Haru leaped at it. Neither things actually managed to touch it. But I was the only one who realized that. I was the only one who heard the swish of something fly through the air, and the clatter of metal.

When the dust cleared there was a boy laying on the ground. Blood leaked from his back and I saw the dark auras dissolving from him. He was just a nobody who'd been in our class.

After that there were sirens. Ambulances, police, fire trucks, parents, teachers, the media, and random people swarmed around the school. Before we were evacuated I managed to gather all the groups in our classroom again.

"We can't let anyone know what really happened here. So you know nothing!" I had told them.

"Well then what are we going to say?" inquired Akane.

"We tell them it was a ghost. That's all. Anything else and any other details are not to be told, understand?" The class understood.

Outside, when too many people to count swarmed, I spotted my grandma. When I got the chance, I escaped the policeman who had been questioning me and went closer to her. Grabbing her arm, I led her to where we were out of the way.

"You killed him, didn't you."

"You saw the murder he committed. It was my mission." my grandmother answered.

"So you'll be leaving now?"

"Yes."

"You won't tell anyone about Ikuto?"

"Of course not." She started walking away, "Because I love you, my granddaughter."

"I still hope we never meet again." I replied looking away; whenever my grandma was around everything became chaotic. It was always that way. My grandma sighed. When I turned back she was gone.

My parents came to pick me up. They had been worried. Nikaido and my other ghosts too had been worried. Before I got into the care I saw two light brown haired figures watching me. Only one of them was opaque though.

"I'll be right back!" I told my mom and dad, remember Tsukasa's letter. I ran over to Yaya.

"Yaya! This is for you!" I handed her then realized, _Wait! She's blind! She can't read! Stupid Tsukasa, is that his idea of a joke? _"Have Kukai read it for you." I added. Then I ran back to my parent's car without another word.

"Amu! You're finally back!" Ikuto exclaimed when I was back in my own room. I yawned tiredly, "Amu, what happened?" he asked, but I shook my head.

"I'll tell you about it later. This day was too weird. I just wanna sleep."

**Author's Note: I decided to end the whole school haunting thing early, but Kukai's back! :D PLEASE REVIEW! The chapter title is because Kiku means chrysanthemum. :'( sniff sniff Kiku might have been a random OC but she was awesome!!!**


	23. A Queen

**A/N: Please read Heart's Soul too! SORRY THIS IS SO SHORT!!!!!!**

Chapter 23: A Queen

"Kukai!" I ran through the creaky old doors of the Guardian's Clubhouse.

An almost invisible ghost floated near a fallen bookshelf. He had red brown hair and green eyes. I flew through his translucent body, my arms spread wide because I was trying to hug him.

"Hahaha! Amu-chan, baka you can't hug me anymore." he laughed.

I smiled at him with a pang of sadness in my heart. I'd known I couldn't hug him. I couldn't hold his hand and I couldn't hit him on the head and call him an idiot. Being a ghost must be so hollow. You'd be reminded day after day that you are not part of Earth anymore.

"I know," I replied, "but I've missed you while you were dead."

"I'm still dead." he replied seriously, "but I don't regret it. I'd give my life again to prevent that girl from dieing." I wasn't sure if he was talking to himself for that last part, but I felt an odd feeling in my chest. It was a burning green kind of anger. Jealousy. I couldn't believe it, but I was jealous of Utau.

While I was walking home I pondered my sudden spike of jealously. It wasn't logical at all. I was in love with Ikuto; Kukai was just a best friend now. That may be so, but then why did I feel that way when Kukai had spoken so... almost lovingly about Utau?

The question bothered me, but as I walked in my house I forgot my worries. My little sister, Ami, came running towards me. I was taken off guard for several reasons. The first was I simply wasn't expecting a five-year-old girl to tackle me. Second, Ami usually stayed far away from me. I'd figured she was afraid of me and used to my parents giving her all their attention, but then why was she so suddenly hugging me?

"Ami thanks Amu-onee!!!!!" Ami squealed.

"W-wha—" I struggled under Ami's tight hug. I'd wanted to get started on my homework and see how Ikuto was doing with the whole idea of Kukai being back. To be frank, when I'd told him that morning he'd left almost immediately after. _I could be wrong, but he seemed jealous._

"Thank you so much Amu!" my mom exclaimed,

"H-huh?"

"You're friend came by! What a nice boy! What a nice boy! He said his family was having a party and we're all invited!" Mama cheered while my dad depressed himself over the fact that I had a guy friend.

"I was really surprised!" Papa admitted once he stopped being depressed, "I didn't think you had any friends! Especially with the way all you do is study, study, study!"

"PAPA!" my mom exclaimed, "Amu was probably just too embarrassed to tell us about her boyfriend! She's always so quiet too! I bet everyone at school loves her! Right, Amu?" I stared at them. School had been called off because of the deaths of eleven students. Even so, a memorial in their honor was held today. When I'd walked through the doors my entire class had saluted me.

My orders had been followed, no unnecessary information had been given. Well, almost, everyone in my class had declared it was my heroism that had saved everyone.

"Nah, hardly anyone even knows I exist." I lied. Scary, how natural it was now for me to tell complete lies with a smile on my face and feel nothing.

"Onee-chan! You're boyfriend invited us to his house! Party! Party!" Ami cheered.

"EH!? Boyfriend!?" I questioned. Surely not Ikuto, and Kukai was a ghost now, so— my mom interrupted my thoughts while my dad became depressed again,

"Yes yes! That cute little blonde boy!"

"T-Tadase?"

"Yeah! Hotori-kun!"

"He's NOT my boyfriend!" I exclaimed.

"Now! Now! No point in being embarrassed Amu! Every girl must have their first boyfriend some time!" My mom put her arm around me and smiled brightly. I sighed. There was no reasoning with this woman.

"So this Saturday we'll all go over to the Hotori residence!" Papa suddenly got over his mini depression. Yeah, that's right. Despite my life dealing with the shadows and the undead my family was still oblivious and normal.

On Saturday we went over to the Hotori's. Ikuto hadn't come back since the morning I told him Kukai was back. Worry overwhelmed me, as well as sadness. I longed to be with Ikuto. Love was an eternal burning desperate wanting when it came to Ikuto and I.

"Welcome!" Tadase's mother greeted at the front gate, and showed us the way to the back where the party was being held. It was a quiet social gathering to open a week long celebration thrown annually by the Hotori's.

"Oh what a lovely home!" Mama complimented as Ami went to go play with their dog. Papa began talking to Mr. Hotori about his research with birds. I was left to wander on my own around the estate's large garden.

"Amu-senpai!" I heard the familiar call of a girl in my class. Then more classmates appeared, even Akane who was extremely jealous of me and my supernatural abilities. At a small picnic table I spotted Nagihiko, Yaya, the shimmering form of Kukai, and one other, Haru. The boy who's sister had been the first to be killed in the slaughter.

I was suddenly swarmed by many of my classmates. They asked me how my week had been, if I'd done my homework, and other normal things. Along with that they offered me snacks and refreshments. I really got the feeling that they all respected me a lot. Part of me told the other half of me to stop being happy; these kids didn't like me, if anything they probably feared me.

**Tadase's POV**

I watched out the window of my grandmother's room. My grandmother, old and sick, lay on her bed still and silent.

"Hinamori Amu, a true princess. Stands out from everyone, and powerful in many ways."

I turned my grandma with a smirk, "These powers will not stay bound by your will for much longer. I've found my queen, Grandmother, the one destined to undo your wicked spell!" I laughed quietly. It was a strong laugh, truly magnificent and fit for a king like me.

**Kukai: What... the...**

**Author: XD you'll just have to wait and find out!**

**Yoru: WAIT! Where'd Ikuto goooo!?**

**Kukai: I drove him off with my awesomeness! Now Amu is **_**mine**_**! Hahaha!**

**Author: EEEK! That laugh! Don't turn into Tadase!**

**Kukai: No worries, I'm straight.**


	24. A Midnight Cherry Blossom

"Hinamori Amu will become my queen."

Chapter 24: A Midnight Cherry Blossom

I escaped the crowd of kids. To be honest I'm not really a social butterfly, and being around so many people at once became tiring. I wished Kukai was tangible because I wanted to lean on him. Yeah, people tired me out that much.

Instead of Kukai I decided to lean against Nagihiko, but suddenly Tadase tore around a corner. Quickly he regained composure and he smiled at all his guests. Finally he turned to me. With a sweet smile he slid beside me with Haru, Yaya, and Kukai's ghost opposite Nagihiko, Tadase, and I.

"Hinamori-chan are you tired?" he asked politely. Then he gently tugged my arm so my head fell onto his shoulder, "Someone of your stature should get plenty of rest. Does homework keep you up a night?"

I wanted to laugh, _Yeah right! If anything keeps me up its those damn nightmares._

"N-no..." To be frank, I was shocked by his sudden signs of affection. _What the Hell?_ Tadase smiled down at me,

"I'm glad you came Hinamori-chan!" He gripped my hand and pulled me away out of my seat. His grasp was tight and I didn't want to hurt his feelings as he led me away from everyone, deeper into the beautiful flower garden.

"I'm going to show Hinamori some of my favorite flowers alright?" he called to our friends. I tried my best not to stumble as he pulled me along. I tried to casually free my hand, but he kept his girly hand clamped around mine.

Finally the brick path forked. Tadase took the right path and we ended up in a clearing surrounded by soft yellow poppies.

Tadase turned to me,

"Nice isn't it?"

"I guess." I shrugged. This time I didn't even have to pretend to be cool and spicy, it came naturally. Flowers didn't interest me. Not unless they were the roses Ikuto brought me occasionally.

"Well I love this place. Poppies are my favorite, and I love the color yellow almost as much as the color purple." Tadase plucked a flower and started playing with its petals.

As I watched him, he seemed so innocent and kind, but also... he was too girly. I needed a stronger kind of guy.

His hands twitched, and then they closed around the flower, crushing it. Mashing it up into flower pulp.

"Tadase?" my tone questioned his sanity.

"Your aura is almost regal you know. It's so grand, _everyone_ must pay attention to it! Everyone must respect it! Everyone will obey you!" he turned to me. He was suddenly a completely different person. Well, his girly exterior stayed the same, but like Nagihiko it was like he was an entirely different personality. _Is everyone in the Guardians BIPOLAR!?_

Tadase tossed his blonde hair out of his face and glared down at me with contempt.

"Peasant! You have a chance to become powerful and rich beyond your wildest dreams! Join me! Use your power and free me from my bonds!" Tadase's voice had become deeper and more intimidating all of a sudden.

There was a spark of white light in between us and I was flung backwards. Nagihiko stood with Yaya and Haru behind him.

"Amu-chan! Get away from Tadase-kun! He's dangerous when he gets like this!" ghost Kukai hollered, floating in front of me.

"W-what's going on!?" I demanded as he hovered between Tadase and I. Currently, Tadase was being wrapped in thin white wires formed with light. He struggled against the binds. Turning to Nagihiko he screamed,

"My own grandmother and now you too, Nagi?"

"This isn't you Tadase! I know you want power, but using your past life will get you now where!"

"That's what someone afraid of progress would say!" Tadase growled, struggling with all his might, which was much more than you'd expect from a girlish little boy.

"DAMN YOU! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIMES WHEN WE GATHERED GHOSTS FOR OUR ARMY? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIMES WHEN WE'D DREAM OF MY CONQUEST!"

"WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE ALL GREW UP! EVERYONE BUT YOU GREW UP! WE DON'T WANT YOUR SICK DREAM ANYMORE!"

"Fine" Tadase turned away from Nagihiko slightly. His red eyes became shiningly gold. The white light slowly melted away and fell to his feet as a pool of sparkling gold.

Tadase smirked, looking down at his hands,

"Not the full extent of my past ability, but it will work well enough!"

"DIE DEMON FILTH!" I heard Yaya's high-pitched voice. Pinkish yellow energy barraged Tadase. Like snow it built up around him until he was completely covered. The energy exploded into beams of light and when I stopped seeing spots in front of my eyes I saw Tadase lying almost lifeless on the grass.

"Ok, he's unconscious," I muttered, "NO TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!!!"

Yaya's unseeing eyes seemed to move upon me. Staring as only a blind person can, she began to explain.

"Tadase's family is not only Japanese, as you may well know by his blond hair. He has a European side. From that European side there is a line that descends from a king." She sat down, cross-legged, on the grass. I too sat and she continued, "The king was more of a tyrant really. He was awful to his subjects, and for land and power he threw his country into war after war. Eventually he became enemy to so many that the surround countries and his own people gathered. They raided his palace and he fled towards the mountains.

"But the mountain men who he had heavily and unjustly taxed, caught him. The king was burned alive on the ashes of his palace with thousands of people watching. But the king was not an ordinary human. He had learned to use his spiritual powers in a way that is referred to as _wizardry_. The art and practice has unfortunately long since died out." Yaya added with a saddened tone, "The king used his last ounce of strength to cast a powerful and evil kind of spell. He was to be reincarnated when something was built over where his palace once stood."

"Where was his palace?" I questioned. Yaya shrugged.

"Who knows, this was a long, long time ago." Kukai explained. Yaya nodded in agreement.

"Long story short, Tadase is the reincarnation of an evil king!" Nagihiko happily gave the synopsis of Yaya's story.

"I see. So, sometimes he starts acting like his past life? That all makes sense, but why was he yelling at me that I could unlock his 'power' and crap like that?" I questioned. Nagihiko chuckled,

"You have your own regalness to you." he said, I could tell he was avoiding the subject, but I let it go. If it was important I'd find out.

That night I went to my room, and after having done over half of my homework, I settled into my bed and slowly drifted towards sleep. But in the pit of my stomach I felt uneasy. Ever since releasing my powers I realized I had even more powers than even that haunting night.

My dreams were an unrecognizable flurry of spookily glistening colors. Some of them were warm and yet others were cold. In the middle of my dream I thought I felt the presence of Dia, but then it became tainted with a bright red kind of fire. The fire started battling with a flourishing pinkish white shimmer.

Then I heard a ringing sound. It was a heart breaking melody, but beautiful at the same time. At first I thought it was just something in my dream, but then I realized as my eyes opened that it was coming from somewhere else.

The eerie sound, I had a gut feeling about this, wasn't something normal that anyone could hear.

I looked over to see Ran, Miki, Suu and Nikaido frozen stiff as if they'd been turned to statues. It was awe inspiring to see the shimmering figures of ghosts in a state of paralysis, but it was almost to much to bare to wonder what was with them.

_Are they in pain?_ I thought as I speedily changed into a short black dress with long pink stripe stockings. In my hair I put a deep pink rose along with my red + clip.

Soundlessly, I jumped of my balcony and landed on a tree. With my amazingly high tech shoes from Easter I was quieter than a mouse of Christmas Eve. Like a squirrel, I leaped from branch to branch. Several times I tripped and ended up with bad scrapes or thinking "That's gonna hurt tomorrow" but I kept going for the song was still ringing in my ears, clear as a bell.

At night, sakura trees seemed freaky in the light of dark. In darkness its petals were no longer pink snowflakes falling gracefully in the wind. I followed the noise, not bothering to stay on the path.

The wind rustled slightly and suddenly I was in a lovely clearing. The place was illuminated by a silver moon, and for a moment my breath was taken away from me. The grass was tall and uncut. No human had passed through for a long time, I was sure. The place was surrounded by dying sakura trees and tall brick walls could be seen through the tree limbs.

Before I leapt to the ground I allowed my extra senses to wonder. I could feel my powers surging. My head began to pound as I tried to focus on an odd disturbance in the flow of "life" around me.

Silently I slid off my perch on a branch and onto the soft grass below. Something hit me like a bullet and I fell backwards, stumbled a little, and then regained my balance only to fall to my knees.

Through the darkness all I saw was silver light and blackness surrounding a puddle of deep red liquid. It was thick and cold and its smell was almost sweet. Lacking the strength it required to get up, I began to crawl towards the wounded thing. According to my extra senses, there was not death around, only the wounded and dying.

I bit back a scream when I saw a flash of blue in the silver/white beams shooting down through the branches. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I tried my best not to vomit.

Ikuto was leaning against a tree. His breathing was soft and shallow, and his eyes were only half open. I touched my hand to his forehead; he seemed normal enough. Shivering for fear instead of the freezing temperature of the night, I petted his soft blue locks.

The ringing that had been constant through out suddenly became quieter, as if the volume had been muffled by something. Staring into tired azure eyes, I whispered,

"Ikuto, are you there?" He sleepily raised his hands to my shoulders.

"A-Amu... y-you're ok. Th-the—" but his eyes snapped open as his hand brushed across a gash I'd gotten from the trees. He shot forward, making us both fall onto the grass. His tongue licked up and down my arm and occasionally he would sip the blood from my veins.

Suddenly he seemed to lose control and I felt teeth scraped across my skin. I let out a scream, but it wasn't too loud. Still, it was enough to snap him out of it.

"Amu!" he exclaimed, jumping up. Through the moonlight I could see his eyes were in shock. I closed my eyes, shaking my head. My heart pounded in my chest insanely. I steadied my breath as I tried to calm my feelings of grief and reasoned with my feelings of anger. _He must have gone missing for a good reason._

Crying, I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck. Hiding my face in his chest, I sobbed,

"Why did you leave Ikuto? Y-you _promised_ you would stay! You p-promised!" His hand patted me on the back.

"Easter." he sighed, "They were getting too close to finding me. I'm sorry Amu. I'm really sorry. I didn't want to leave, but when you told me Kukai had saved you... when you told me about that psycho killer!" his shoulders shook uncontrollably, "I felt jealous and ashamed! I want to protect you!" he clutched the back of my dress in his fists as he spoke, "So I left. I knew Easter was getting closer, so to protect you I've been meeting investigating some things."

"Huh?" my tears began to stop falling, "W-what things?"

"I was curious about Nikaido," he admitted, still holding me close.

"Why?" I inquired.

"Well... during my time in Easter I knew him. Apparently he had a girlfriend who also worked for Easter. She broke up with him the day before his death, and I don't think those two are unrelated."

"Did she work in the same lab as Nikaido?" I wondered, gripping handfuls of Ikuto's shirt. I could almost sense that he was going to try to leave me again soon. I couldn't bare the pain in that.

"No, she worked in a lab competing with his. They were having an annual competition to see who could collect the most data. Nikaido's lab had recently failed in bringing in important new data, but there was a rumor that Nikaido had kept some of his research from the organization. I think that's why he was killed."

"I see." there was silence for a while, as I thought about Nikaido. He never really said much that gave away who he really was. He secretly helped my mom with minor chores and stuff, and he didn't mind hanging out with Ran, Miki, Suu, and Yoru.

Suddenly I realized I hadn't been hearing that noise. Had it really been coming from Ikuto? But there'd been no instruments at all? There'd been nothing. And it obviously hadn't been a hum or a whistle or someone singing.

"Ikuto... what was that sound from earlier?"

"Huh? Oh dear. So that was happening." Ikuto sighed, but began to explain because of my teary/confused face, "When a vampire is really desperate for blood and injured his or her body starts to emit a kind of sound wave that will bring forward the closest person with the blood best for that vampire." he smirked a little. I smirked back,

"Be glad that _I'm_ the one your vampire powers called out and not some stranger! After all, aren't you addicted to my blood? Isn't it nearly impossible for you to drink the blood of anyone else?"

Ikuto laughed shakily, "I suppose your right." He eyes me in a way that made my heart beat rapidly, "that reminds me." he grabbed my arm. There was a bad scrape there and he ran his tongue along it. Then he took my opposite hand and licked the blood from my cut up palm. After that he went down to his knee where he licked the blood from a cut just above my knee.

I giggled like a little girl. His tongue tickled. I guess my laugh was infectious because he began to chuckle. But then he started coughing. I gasped and bent down to see if he were all right.

"Ikuto? C'mon! What's wrong?"

"I- *cough * told you... I got hurt." my eyes almost began tearing again, but I ordered my sadness back. Clumsily, I helped Ikuto stand and with more confidence than I felt I said,

"We'll get back to my house and then you'll get better! Don't worry Ikuto!"

**Author's Note: XD sorry this took so long. D: Ikuto WHY!!!! AGAIN!!! D: he's so abused! :D but it makes for a great story doesn't it? Ok more drama and action and horror coming up! :D**


	25. A Vision and A Murder

**Author's Note: Well, I'm sick AGAIN! In the same way as last week on the same frickin day too!!!!!!!! grrrr. XD well I'll write this chapter while my parents set up some kind of doctor's appointment.**

Chapter 25: A Vision and A Murder

"Be my queen!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP TADASE!" I slammed my phone down. Stupid Tadase had been calling me over and over and over. It was the same thing every time, and my answer had been the same as well: EVERY SINGLE TIME!

A week later I hardly even picked up the phone any more. I _always_ checked the caller ID on my cell phone and after Tadase started calling even during Easter Missions I always kept my phone on vibrate; because it just sucks when you're sneaking up on the Cyclops you were sent to kill when suddenly your phone starts ringing.

I sat on a chair in my uncharacteristically pink room reading a book for school. It was a kind of depressing book, and I was nearing the end when Ikuto, who was lying in my bed sick as a dog, started coughing uncontrollably. He shakily tried to sit up, but I jumped towards him and pushed him down as gently as I could.

"Ikuto NO! You need to stay lying down! If you don't your condition will worsen." I shook my head angrily, "What did Easter do to you?" _Damn I went to Easter to prevent this from happening!_ I thought bitterly.

"Don't blame yourself." he rasped. I brushed the side of his cheek with my fingertips and smiled kindly. Then I screamed as my phone buzzed inside my pocket. I hurriedly grabbed my phone and because it had been tickling me so uncomfortably I opened it without look at the Caller ID. Flipping it open I growled,

"Hello?"

"Amu,"

"Bastard, stop calling me! I don't fucking want to be your 'queen'!" I shouted at Tadase preparing to hang up.

"WAIT AMU WAIT! IT'S NOT THAT!" he cried before I could end the call. I shoved the phone back to my ear and yelled into the receiver,

"Ok, you have thirty seconds to tell me what this _is_ about then."

"We're visiting Yaya's new house, wanna come?"

"And who exactly is 'we'?" I inquired sharply.

"Nagihiko, Haru, and myself." Tadase replied. I sighed. I really should go. I _was_ after all the reason Yaya's brother and previous caretaker – Tsukasa – were both dead.

"Fine... I'll meet you there." I answered glancing at the pale and sickly face of my beloved Ikuto.

"Don't worry about me," his voice was hoarse and weak, "I'll be fine."

"B—" I tried to argue but he frowned,

"Go already! You're annoying, always hovering over me." Deep down I knew he was only saying that to get my to leave, but at that moment it had exactly the effect he wanted.

"Well fine!" I yelled at him, "I'll just go!"

Walking out the front door I silently thanked the sky that my father was on a business trip, taking photos of American birds and my mother was with Ami at "take your daughter to work day".

Tadase had texted me Yaya's address. It was at an apartment complex near down town. I made it there just as Tadase, Nagihiko, and Haru were getting out of Haru's family's car.

"Ah! Guys!" I shouted, waving at them. The three boys turned.

"Amu hey—" Nagihiko didn't finish because as I got closer Tadase closed the space between us and swooped me into his arms as if I were a princess.

"My beautiful queen has returned to me at last." he bent down as if he was going to kiss me. I jumped back, struggling out of his arms. Once my feet were firmly on the ground I gave Tadase a good smack in the face.

"Bastard! Stop that!" I yelled. Tadase rubbed his cheek and returned to normal. He bowed deeply to me,

"SORRY HINAMORI-SAN!"

"The hell you are." I muttered under my breath.

We went inside Yaya's new house. It was a pretty large apartment. There was a good-sized kitchen with a granite-topped island separating it from the living room area. The TV was pretty large and the long couch looked soft and comfortable. Yaya brought us tea and we all talked for a while. I didn't see Kukai though, which made me feel... concerned.

"Is Sanjo-san not home?" I asked Yaya as I helped her clean up the teacups. Yaya shook her head, her blind eyes seeing something very far away.

"She's rarely home. Her work keeps her out late, and she gets up early."

"Then why did Tsukasa-san was you to become adopted by her?" Yaya sighed,

"The note from Tsukasa said she will be very grateful soon that she has me," Yaya gulped, "her nephew is going to die." I gasped,

"She doesn't know right?" again Yaya shook her head,

"How could I tell her such a thing?" Letting the dishes clatter into the sink she murmured, "He comes over a lot... he's so nice..." Yaya choked back tears, "He's even younger than me! E-every time I see him — I just — I can't stand it! He's so smart and in his own way he's such a... a gentle spirit! I don't want him to die!"

"What's his name?" I demanded. I simply had to know. I don't understand why, but it seemed my entire life at that moment depended on his name,

"Kairi." Yaya answer, and then

blackness. All there was and would ever be was a dark pit of nothingness. Suddenly, after maybe centuries, something came out of the darkness as if awaking from a long slumber. It crept groggily along the ground. I blinked. What was this color?

Red.

_Dear lord no!_ "NO!" I tried to shout but my words were strangled and inaudible. I backed up, not wanting to see where the blood was coming from when a single light shoe upon a limp body. It was thin and pale. Worse than the sight of the blood covering the corpse like a blanket, even worse than that awful stench, was the fact that it was lacking a head.

Then I saw dark green hairs. They stuck out of the ground almost like grass. When I looked closer I saw to my dismay the severed head of the dead boy. His skull had been crushed and his neck ripped from his shoulders. Brain juices leaked from the squished head, mixing with the thick blood. Internal organs were spewing from the near by body.

Then I screamed as loud and dreadfully as possible when I saw his finger twitch.

"AMU! AMU!" I opened my eyes, looking around myself like a jumpy rabbit. Haru was shaking my shoulders while Yaya sobbed in a corner and Nagihiko help a wet towel to my hot forehead. Tadase tried to comfort Yaya while yelling at Haru to be careful.

"What was that?" Nagihiko demanded, looking me directly in the eyes. I just stared. I could only barely see anything. My breath was too quick while my heart was beating too rapidly. My head was on fire and I felt sweat dripping down me everywhere.

Haru gently helped me to the couch. He stared with shock on his face,

"Was it some sort of vision Amu? You suddenly started screaming bloody murder!" I was reminded of my bloody nightmare. The boy's (Kairi) finger twitched again. For a moment too long my heart stopped, and I could remember how to breathe. Suddenly I did remember and I gasped in and out desperately.

"Should we call the ambulance?" Tadase wondered.

"Idiot! What are we supposed to say!? 'Oh she just prophesized someone's death, it's no big deal, happens all the time.'!" Haru yelled.

I rolled to my side on the couch. Gripping either Haru or Nagihiko's shirt (my vision was too blurry to see clearly) I gasped hoarsely,

"It's horrible." Then a dove gray light filled my vision and I became numb.

Did I die? Or did I just pass out? Questions whirled tirelessly in my head until I heard movement in the kitchen. My eyes reopened.

Looking out the window, I realized it was much later than when I'd had my vision. I glanced towards the granite-topped island where Yaya, Tadase, Nagihiko, and Haru chatted. Each of them had a tone of concern or sorrow. A headache shot through me and then pain sliced through my spine like a katana through butter.

Dizzily, I struggled to my feet. Gripping the wall or any other piece of furniture that would support me I said in reply to worried glances,

"Bathroom." With my eyes only a quarter of the way open I stumbled into a door, and then I managed to twist the knob, somehow managing to open the door in my delirious state. My entire body ached and I was brittle like a twig and weak as a piece of paper.

Groggily I looked around. It wasn't that bathroom. I was about to turn to leave when something caught my eye and forced me completely awake.

A picture of Utau hung on the wall of what was most likely Sanjo's room/office area. When I looked closer there were a lot of pictures of Utau. 90% of them had notes scribbled on or around them. Sticky notes covered the gaps in between pictures.

I turned and pounced upon Sanjo's desk. In the drawers there was report after report on magical creatures, magic users, magic using techniques, and the like. Two of Sanjo's most favorite subjects seemed to be vampires and "The Embryo". I vaguely remembered Ran, Miki, Suu and others mentioning "The Embryo." I really wondered what he/she/it was.

Then there was a report on Utau. Under the many pages of report was a whole file dedicated to Utau. Under that was a thin file: a file with _my_ name on it. In horror I picked it up, opened it, and flipped through some of the pages. There was a physical description, a couple pictures of me during missions, and then there was a piece of binder paper with notes scribbled onto it,

"Supernatural powers. Visions and extreme senses? Psychic powers? Attracts ghosts. Continue further study." On the cover of my file was a watermark "Easter Inc."

My head snapped up as I heard the front door of Yaya's apartment slam. _Sanjo_. Shuffling the papers back into their place and closing the drawers.

_If Sanjo finds me hear she'll kill me for sure!_ I thought frantically. Then I spotted the bathroom through Sanjo's open bedroom door. Desperately I dashed into the hall and as quickly yet quietly as possible closed the bathroom door behind me.

Covering my mouth to muffle the sound of my breathing I listened as Sanjo's voice echoed up the hall.

"Yaaaya~chan! Work was sooooo boring *hiccup * bring me dinner!" her words were slurred. She was drunk. I opened the bathroom door and slipped into the living room unnoticed.

Sanjo, a woman in her late twenties with crimson hair and light blue eyes, lounged on the couch flipping channels and singing loudly. I wasn't sure if she noticed that Tadase, Nagihiko, and Haru were there at all; let alone noticing that they were staring at her. Haru had a disgusted expression while Nagihiko had a kind of awkward expression, which told me this situation was very uncomfortable for him. Tadase was simple gawking with his mouth slightly ajar.

I looked past the island and found Yaya busily cooking dinner. I sighed gratefully and took the opportunity to leave before Sanjo sobered up enough to realize I was there.

"H-hi... I think I'm going to head home." I told my friends. They all turned to me sadly.

"Are you going to be alright?" Nagihiko asked, and I nodded in response.

"I'll be fine, and don't worry I'll tell you about my vision later ok?" Forcing a smile on my face almost made me cry from effort. Pushing back the feeling of a headache I walked out the door.

I turned a corner on the streetlight lit sidewalk. Office buildings came into view as I traveled deeper into the heart of town. The hill that my school was on was barely visible through the growing fog. Against the cold I pulled the hood of my sweat jacket over my pink head. Cars roared past me with noise like lions battling over the last bite of caribou. People shuffled in and out of sight as they head home or where ever they were going.

Letting my feet go where they pleased I allowed my mind to wander to my vision. The horrific sight of a bashed in head and blood mixed with what was once internal organs made my flesh crawl and I almost puked. So I jumped my thoughts to something else: Sanjo's room.

"Easter..." I muttered as I thought, _Surely Tsukasa knew Sanjo worked for Easter._

After a deep sigh I looked up into the just visible starry sky. _Did he intend for Yaya to spy on Sanjo? And why is Sanjo spying on Utau?_

I stopped dead and gasped in horror. An unknown person bumped into me and the crowd swarming about me muttered something about "crazy kids". I didn't care; all that I could think was, _Does Sanjo know about Ikuto? Does Sanjo know Utau is Ikuto's sister?_ Panic grew and filled every crevice of my thoughts as I took off at a run.

Along the sidewalk I crashed into many people because I couldn't see where I was going, I didn't even know why I was running. Nothing in my head was making sense, but a nagging feeling kept tugging at me. _Ikuto is in danger. Ikuto is in danger. _

I ran past an alleyway when a dark form shot out of the alley's mouth and collided with me. I only barely stopped myself from falling. Fortunately the impact got me back to my senses. I realized by looking at the pitch-black sky that it was too late to be out. _How long was I running?_ I wondered when I noticed that I was completely out of breath.

I jumped when something gripped my shoulder. It was a bony, pale hand. I turned my head to find a short old man with tufts of white hair growing around the back of his head and deep wrinkles in his face. He was staring at me with scared, brown eyes, and from head to toe he was shivering with fear.

"Please!" he began, "She's the devil! She's the devil!" With his free hand the man gripped my other shoulder and whispered to me, "She controls a blonde demon-girl! A bat-winged creature of evil who will lure you in then steal your soul!" his voice rose higher and higher until it was but a strained squeak, "She's going to kill me! You've got to tell someone! I've seen other monsters with her too! Dark, bloodthirsty beings are always surrounding her! One will suck you dry of blood! Demons! Demons! She's the devil!"

There was a tremendous bang that ricocheted off the sides of near-by buildings and pounded on my ears. The old man's head bent awkwardly and his grip loosened. Slowly he stumbled backward. Like a stunned rabbit I remained still for a split second, but only a split second. Then I jumped into the middle of the street.

I ran faster than I'd ever run before, my heart raced with adrenalin and terror. Honks from passing cars sounded behind me, but, as my feet met sidewalk, I didn't care. Now that an entire street was in between me and the old man, who now lay dead, I saw the one who had shot that gun.

No mistake about it, the killer was a girl. She wore a gray rain jacket that easily blended in with any crowd or any city background. She wore a deep gray hat too. But just as she slunk back into the alleyway from which she had come, the wind picked up and I saw a lock of crimson hair peek out from behind her popped collar.

_Sanjo..._ I began walking again as if nothing had happened. I weaved along my path and crossed the street many times. Eventually I would go home, but I purposely made my trail round about and strange. Too long had I been working for Easter to not know those simple tricks.

It had been my working for Easter that had saved my life just then, and it was because of working for Easter that I was able to think about what had just happened with clarity.

_That man had said, "blonde, demon-girl", "She controls a blonde demon-girl." Obviously that's Utau, who else is being possessed by a demon and is connected to Sanjo? But Sanjo _controls _Utau? A blood sucking creature... he mentioned that... a vampire? Not Ikuto! Not Ikuto! I begged. Surrounded by evil spirits, well if she works for that side of Easter then of course she is. Damn, I hope she hadn't seen me... Why hadn't I sensed that death? Was it not supposed to happen? Are all the deaths I see... "fated"... "destined"? I don't want Kairi's death to be destiny!_

I shook my head, forcing my thoughts back on topic.

_If Sanjo is controlling Utau I'll have to talk to Utau about her position in Easter... I need to find out more without bringing attention to myself._

After about an hour of walking around I finally reached my house. I dug into my pocket and found my cell phone. Turning it on I waited on my doorstep until I could see the time. According to my phone it was 11:00 pm.

"Mom might not be home yet... if I'm lucky." I muttered digging around for my key. Suddenly my phone broke the silence by buzzing wildly. I dropped my key in a bush and with a grumpy huff I grabbed my phone and answered.

"Amu here." I muttered, wishing I didn't sound so loud compared to the quiet night. Without being able to see past my nose I leaned down to search for my key, as a familiar voice rang in my ear.

"Hello, Amu." I found my key, but then dropped it again.

"U-utau?!" at the last minute I strained to make my voice sound unsurprised and relaxed.

"Yes. And if you want to learn more about Easter meet me at the abandoned warehouse downtown by the wharf on Sunday. I'll be there until midnight." There was a click and then I was alone in the darkness.

Finally finding my key I opened the door and walked into the hall. Flicking on the lights I realized Nikaido, Miki, Ran, and Suu were all waiting for me. Their faces were grim as if they already suspected something bad had happened.

"Where were you?" Ran inquired. I took a deep breath and carefully explained the situation. I kept my voice down for fear Ikuto would hear me. I couldn't stand if he worried.

"Sanjo, eh?" Nikaido chuckled once. It was bitter and humorless.

"Do you know her?" I asked.

"She was my girlfriend. She broke up with me just before my death."

"I see..." I uttered quietly, then Nikaido looked me straight in the eye with an extremely serious expression,

"Be careful Amu. I don't know what game Sanjo's playing, but she _always_ plays to win."

"I-I'll be fine." I tried to brush off his ominous comment.

"No," he shook his ghostly head, "You'll need help. Please, tell Ikuto-kun or one of the Guardians about this. It could save your life."

"I'll be fine!" I insisted.

_I can't tell anyone_. I decided as I headed upstairs. _The reason I joined Easter was to protect my Ikuto! I'll protect the Guardians too!_ My mind traveled back to my vision of Kairi, and then Yaya's crying face. Then I saw Ikuto's face twisted in pain and Nagihiko's solemn sorrow when he remembered his sister. Tadase's expression as he struggled to keep down his other side today, too, came into my thoughts. I also saw Haru's screaming face as he cried for the death of his sister, Mikan. Then the laughter fading from Kukai's features as I saw again for one horrific moment the scene of his death. Then I saw Dia's face. The face of the person who's death that had started it all. Ran, Miki, Suu, they died because of me. _I won't cause anyone else any more grief!_

**Author's Note: I kinda took the opportunity here to basically recap the whole point of this plot... cuz I don't know, I just hate when things stray from the plot, so I obviously hate it when **_**I**_** stray from the plot. Well I hope you liked it, please review.**


	26. A Ghost Sister

Chapter 26: A Ghost Sister

"Why?" I kept screaming into the darkness. "WHY!?" I shut my eyes and prayed for my feeling of dread to leave. When I opened my eyes once again I saw the pink of my pillow and heard the barking of a dog outside. I gasped.

With that gasp everything from my dream disappeared. All I could remember was asking "why" into the blurry darkness. It must have been horrible though, sweat was dripping from my forehead and salty tears were continuously streaming down my face.

"Amu-chan are you alright?" Ran asked. I looked up to see Ran, Miki, and Suu hovering in a corner. Yoru was floating beside Ikuto who lay sleeping on a bean-bag chair. Poor guy still looked almost green with sickness. He was snoring though, with his mouth ajar, allowing me to see two pointy fangs. With a shudder, I got up and tiptoed to my closet. Quiet as a mouse I grabbed my clothes and snuck out of my room.

Just as I was stepping out of the shower something flashed in my brain. It was a kind of sparkling image, much like a phantom in the moonlight. Trembling I took another step, now I was in front of the bathroom mirror. This time I saw a shimmer of yellow/red out of the corner of my eye. Instinctively I turned towards the mirror. Another image flashed, and this time it was where my face was supposed to be in the mirror. I screamed as I watched thick crimson blood drip slowly down someone's face. On the face was a twisted smile. I couldn't recognize who the person was though.

Just then there was a knock on the bathroom door that made the vision fade away. I scrambled over to the door, gripping the knob so no one would barge in.

"Amu? Are you okay in there?" my mother asked almost annoyed. _Like you really care._ I thought.

"Y-yeah, I just saw a spider." I lied quickly. When my mom had gone I pulled on my clothes with quivering hands. The whole time I didn't dare look back into that damned mirror.

My heart was hammering against my ribs as I paced along the hallway. In an attempt to calm myself I tried to think of meaningless things to distract me. "Tadase's really annoying..." I commented.

_He's that was because of a murderous king from the past_.

I shook my head, trying to forget the supernatural, "Haru's a nice guy, and cute, but he doesn't hang out with anyone but the Guardians..."

_Probably because his sister was killed by an evil spectre._

"It's almost my birthday!" I almost shouted.

_So its almost the memorial of Dia's death._ My pacing feet halted at that thought. I stared at the carpet in dread.

"Don't think about Dia! Don't think about Dia!" I repeated, uselessly hoping that could help. Suddenly I saw a hand. It wasn't real though. I could tell because there was no sense of life or presence coming from it, like a cartoon. Backing away I prepared to scream again. My eyes traveled from the hand reaching out towards me to that twisted smile, surrounded with blood.

"A-a" I backed into the wall. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the stairs. I knew it wouldn't kill me, but the impact, I was sure, would make the _thing_ go away. So I shifted my weight and moved my foot, and then down I plunged.

As I tumbled down the stairs I refused to let myself reach out for help. I let myself bounce from stair to stair until I crashed into the wall below. Just as I was concerning myself with the pain I felt, I saw another flash. It was someone screaming. She had orange hair tied into pig tails. It was Dia, and, in a half translucent state, was soundlessly wailing as if she'd never felt pain so extreme. As the image fell away so did my consciousness.

I awoke what I assumed to be a couple hours later. There was too much light and every inch of me was sore. I turned my head this way and that, my neck protesting greatly. Everything, from the floors to the walls to the ceiling was white, off-white, or white with a tinge of some spring color like baby blue, light pink, or spring green. There was a window in the room where I could see my father talking with a doctor.

Just then a nurse walked in. Like a stunned squirrel I became stock-still. The young nurse, who much resembled Barbie, giggle.

"Such cute hair!" her voice was high as Christmas bell, but soft and kind like a gentle first snow. I didn't reply though. My mind couldn't comprehend someone who was talking hair at a time of crisis. The nurse frowned when I didn't respond, so she tried a different topic.

"Uuh... you know your dad seems pretty upset with you... what were you doing on those stairs?"

"Wouldn't believe me if I told you." I muttered, looking away. I though the nurse wouldn't hear me; I was wrong. There was clicking sound that made me look back at the blonde woman. Her face was twisted into a scowl.

"Try me." she commanded aiming the gun for my heart. I glared at her. Then my eyes grazed over her name plate: "Molly Kapamaki (**A/N: I know that's a sushi its just im in health right now and I don't feel like thinking**)

_Molly Kapamaki!_ I realized I'd seen that name in one of Sanjo's files. Molly's lips pressed together and her eyes sent daggers at me. Flinching slightly I tried desperately to think of something.

"H-hahahahaha!" Why I was laughing, I wasn't sure. I guess I just hoped this was all some kind of sick joke, "You wouldn't kill me!" When I looked into Molly's face I knew it was true because beads of sweat began to appear on her face.

"Uh-uh... I... I would if you made me!" She pressed the handgun against my forehead. The cold metal of it sent chills down my spine. Molly continued to glare at me, "Sanjo-sama doesn't like you! You're weird! Normal magic doesn't work and vengeful spirits can't haunt you!"

"You think Sanjo-san hates me? HA!" I laughed, quickly lying. But I was so used to it that everything but the truth rolled from my mouth like the moving of a freshly oiled door hinge. "To Sanjo, I'm very important! Without me she wouldn't have Utau so well controlled! Without the information I gave her she'd never have gotten as far as she did in the Easter organization!"

Molly's hand began to tremble, "B-but... she-she never mentioned... she didn't... I thought,"

"You weren't doing this on Sanjo's orders right? Ha! Of course you weren't! Sanjo would never betray me! And if she did... well doesn't that just make her a lying bi—"

"No! Don't talk about Sanjo-sama like that! It was all me! I just wanted to help!"

"Then do yourself a favor and put that gun away, unless you really do want to kill me. In which case you'll have the wrath of Sanjo to deal with!" Molly looked even more frightened than before by my words. She hesitantly took the gun away. At the point I lifted my leg, knocking her to the floor. Her gun slipped from her hands and fell right next to me.

"That's for asking unnecessary questions!" I grabbed the gun and aimed it at her shoulder, smirking. "_This_ is how you get information out of someone!" I was determined to teach her a lesson. "Let the victim writhe in pain until they're ready to hand over anyone and anything in exchange for a mere death! Until then, keep them alive! Keep them in agonizing torture!"

Now Molly was beyond scared. She could've been knocked dead of sheer fright at that moment. I could even see tears forming in her eyes. I wondered if I'd gone a bit to far. Then I remembered the fear of that metal against my forehead. I felt this was a justifiable vengeance.

"Th-th-then why don't you j-just get it over with? K-kill me." I smiled evilly, moving the gun from her shoulder exactly where her heart was.

"Are you sure about that?" I inquired with threatening sweetness. Dramatically I prepared to pull the trigger and then she suddenly screeched,

"NO! DON'T I BEG YOU!" Smirking I shoved the nurse towards the door.

"Then go make sure I'm released before midnight tonight." as Molly was leaving I added, "And one more thing," I unloaded the gun and tossed it back to her, keeping the bullets with me. Silently I thought, _show a friendly gesture, like getting the enemy water or giving back their (unloaded) gun, to gain trust_. "You're a horrible nurse."

It was fifteen to eleven that night. I was about to be released from the hospital with minor injuries. I looked towards the wall behind me as I felt the familiar pressense of four ghosts. Nikaido, Ran, Miki, and Suu phased through the wall. Nikaido looked suspicious while Ran looked as if she were grieving. Miki and Suu simply looked concerned.

"Ran," I asked first, "What's wrong?"

"AMU-CHAN!" Ran cried floating too close to me, "I'M SORRY YOU GOT HURT!!! IF I HAD BEEN THERE I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP YOU BUT—"

"Ran. It's not your fault." _Even when I'm dealing with my own shit, I end up hurting others._ I slowly pushed myself off of my hospital bed. My leg stung for a moment and I felt a little dizzy, but I pushed back those feelings.

"I have to go, I have that meeting with Utau."

"AMU DON'T!" Nikaido suddenly yelled as I turned towards the door. I turned around slowly, glaring at him.

"Why not?"

"Because something doesn't feel right about the whole thing! Don't go! Take Ikuto or the Guardians—"

"I CAN'T DO THAT! IKUTO'S SICK! HARU ALREADY LOST HIS SISTER BECAUSE OF ME! IF NAGIHIKO USES ANYMORE SPIRITUAL POWER HIS LIFESPAN WILL SHORTEN! TADASE WON'T BE ABLE TO CONTROL HIS OTHER SIDE IF HE'S AROUND ME! AND I'VE ALREADY KILLED TWO OF YAYA'S CARETAKERS! I CAN'T LET THE THIRD LEAVE HER TOO!"

"Hinamori-san! You don't understand! Sanjo-san... she"

"I know quite enough about Sanjo the murderer." I growled, pivoting so my back was towards Nikaido. "Now don't muddle in other people's business."

"You'll get kill—" Nikaido's voice was lost as I slammed the door and ran away.

My leg stung too much. Though I'd been told to ignore pain, it was too much, falling down the stairs could really do some damage. I haled a cab and took it until I was close enough to the abandoned warehouse that I was supposed to meet Utau at. I couldn't let anyone even close to somewhere so dangerous, even a complete stranger.

Despite trying to ignore Nikaido, I was still wary as I walked into a wide-open space. The asphalt matched with the midnight sky made the surroundings look even darker. Only a glistening moon hovering above my head cast light enough to see. The faraway street lamps were like fireflies from this distance.

"So you made it. And just on time too." I whirled around. Utau was standing there. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into pigtails just above her ears. Her purple eyes were merciless.

"Utau, I don't know if you know a Ms. Sanjo, but she's been—"

"She's been my greatest ally!" Utau finished for me. I gasped and started to back away when I heard footsteps to the right of me.

"Hinamori Amu, you're a foolish girl! Though your aura is almost indistinct from a ghost's, there is the clear feeling of power about you. But, it would seem you can't control it. A pity, really, because I was hoping you'd be my next project for Easter. That company, and I, both love taking _special_ beings like yourself, and seeing what makes them tick." Sanjo stepped closer to me, her face half hidden with shadow. I took a couple steps back, putting both Sanjo and Utau in my sight.

"You're disgusting! I know what Easter really does! It tortures creatures! It makes puppets out of the supernatural!" I turned to Utau. Maybe I could talk some common sense into her, or at least get her to stop following orders. She's possessed by a devil isn't she? She should start acting like it, "Utau! C'mon! You don't need to listen to her! Surely you have your own ambitions!"

"Hahaha! Of course I do!" Utau's voice suddenly took on an echo, "I want to sing. And Sanjo is my manager!" then Utau's voice was almost completely overshadowed by another girl's voice, coming from within Utau herself. "With Easter sponsoring me, I'll go places I never could before! I'll be famous, and I'll be rich and everyone will adore me!"

"Th-that voice..." suddenly my dream was coming back bit by bit.

_Utau was singing on stage, but I could see Dia, my beloved, in Utau's face. Not only that, but Sanjo was backstage._

"You finally understand?" _that voice... it can't be! My dreams..._ "With all your power, you should've realized before, but I guess you've always been an idiot!" _Dia... always in my dreams, but..._ "That's right _Amu-chan_," _Ghosts can possess people..._ "All because of you," _DIA'S POSSESSING UTAU!_ "All because of your wish I was brought onto this place as a ghost!"

"NOOOOOOO!" I screamed.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Don't act so surprised! I know you have supernatural powers! Honestly, if it weren't for me, all your powers would've awakened sooner."

"W-what?" I gasped, looking up at Utau, who now resembled Dia a lot.

"Yep! I couldn't have some kind of psychic running around in the family! Not when I needed to get further in my stardom!"

"I thought. I thought you cared for me—"

"Care? For you? You were just a bother! But letting supernatural powers push me out of the spotlight, the hell with that! Sure I had to put up with you, and that old lady was a total bitch, but it was almost worth it!"

"H-how can you say that, Dia?"

"Easy. It's the truth. Haha! It's precious how you thought I really loved you, but, you know I really hate that you had to bring me back to this Earth. Well, I _did_ hate it, until I found this wonderful body. She's gorgeous, and not to mention, her voice is almost as magnificent as mine. I can use her as a second chance to complete my goal."

"Y-your goal was..."

"To be rich and famous! I want to be on all the magazine covers and in the latest gossip. I don't care what I have to do! Screw the whole goodness and honest means shit! I'll be ruthless, shameless, and strong! That's how you get what you want in the real world!"

"N-no, Dia..." In death, had she forgotten the truth? She was speaking only lies.

"Don't act like you know everything bitch! I'm stronger than even you now! Utau's body has absorbed so much demonic and angelic energy that combined with my ghost abilities; I could kick your ass a thousand times over! HAHA!"

_This Dia... this Dia... THIS IS NOT THE SISTER I KNOW!_ "OH YEAH!? THEN TRY IT!"

"My pleasure bitch!" Utau rushed at me. I saw the demonic energy channeling into the air through Utau's hand. I cursed myself for not bringing my Easter equipment. In a blaze of Hell's fire Utau struck at my side. Dodging at the last minute it only stung a little.

I did a back flip then jumped back up to snap kick Utau. Once my kicking foot was on the ground again I thrust my fist against Utau's stomach. She reared, preparing for a new attack, but I'd already skipped back to a safe distance.

"Dia! Get out of Utau! You had your chance at a life!"

"Don't think you're so righteous! I'm giving Utau what she wants anyway! Besides, you have no right to judge! I'm here because of you!"

"Well, when I made that wish I didn't think it'd be granted! God isn't supposed to bring back the dead!"

"Incase you didn't notice I'm not exactly alive!" Dia screamed at me as Utau slammed her fist into my cheek. I stumbled backwards from shock. That gave Utau time to smack my other cheek and knee me in the kidney.

"Dia! Even you were brought back, you shouldn't forget the real reason you had for wanting to be a star!"

"Hmph! You're too stubborn for your own good, girl."

"I'm not just a girl, I'm your sister! A sister who you protected and hung out with for years! Even if that was just because you were being selfish," tears began to overflow my eyes, "You're reason for singing was as true as the blue sky!"

"You preaching cry baby! Idiot! Bitch! Stupid!" Each time Utau slapped me Dia would insult me.

"I'M NOT AN IDIOT! YOU INSPIRED ME SO MUCH! YOU WERE SO AMAZING! I WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU! I STILL CAN BE!"

"If you won't give up, then fine, tell me what my 'true' and 'inspiring' reason was." Dia emphasized her words with air-quotes.

"You always believed that a song from the heart could change a mood entirely! People could go from happy to sad, but they would always be changed just a little from that song! You're singing was so beautiful and your manner was so pure that I believed that more than anything!"

Abruptly Dia's and Utau's auras became to separate things. I'd never really seen Utau's aura before. It was almost purple, with a shimmer of gold, while Dia's was glistening and bright like a mesh of multi-colored sparkles. Utau stood there, looking shocked. As she spoke, it was her own voice and not Dia's this time,

"I... my heart... it's beating... I feel... I feel... like I exist." _Did Utau get some of her soul back? How did that happen?_

"What's going on, Utau?" Sanjo inquired from a ways away. Utau didn't answer, tears were falling from her eyes now.

"I haven't cried since that time..." Utau sobbed quietly. "W-where is he?"

"Utau what are you talking about?" I asked. Then I heard an echo of a shining white voice,

"Utau-chan has built a piece of soul. My duty is almost done."

"Don't count your chicken's 'fore they hatch! That soul could still belong to us!" a voice of black flames replied.

There was suddenly a demonic presence and an angelic presence along with the mixed presence of Dia and Utau, the presence of Sanjo... and who was that? _Oh no._ I thought, looking up to the roof of the old warehouse. Utau calmed down enough to ask, "Amu... what are you looking a—" she gasped. I knew she saw too.

"I-Ikuto?" we both asked in unison.

On top of the warehouse I could see Ikuto. He was writhing as if in pain, and I could see his eyes glowing brighter red than ever before. He looked starved and deranged. I held my breath as Ikuto jumped down to the asphalt, and used super human speed to race towards Utau and I. He looked like he intended to kill. He was far enough away, that it was possible to watch him as he ran, but I couldn't pay attention because my mind was remembering what he'd told me before.

_'I'll have to turn Utau into a vampire.'_

I gripped Utau's arm. "Run! It's the curse! You'll get bit!"

But it was too late. Ikuto's slapped me away from Utau with one hand and grabbed her forcefully with the other. He obviously was in his right mind. His fangs were huge and glisteningly pearly white. His vibrantly red eyes had hugely dilated pupils, as if he were on drugs. I glimpsed a yellowish aura as Dia tried to escape Utau's body, and then Ikuto clamped his teeth around Utau's neck. There was a blood curdling scream and the sound of dripping blood. Then I feel back onto the ground sobbing. Everything went black after that.

I could see my dream from the night before though. It was playing and replaying in my head.

_It was midnight, and everything was black, but instead of stars there was the burning sun. I couldn't see the moon. Utau was crying on the ground, but her hair turned orange and then back to blonde every once in a while. Next to her was a marble statue of Sanjo-san. It was slowly cracking. Soon it would break and turn to dust. Then I heard the shouts of ghosts. There were too many of them to listen to a single one. An angel's feathers flew in the wind while smoke filled the oddly beautiful sky._

_There was a horrible shrieking sound, and I turned back to Utau. She lay on the ground wriggling in agony. Her face looked like it was screaming for dear life but I couldn't hear anything. Then I noticed two punctures at the side of her neck. I followed a thick and brilliant red trail of blood to a puddle of it at the feet of a blue haired man. Suddenly the man's face became monster-like with huge red eyes and giant fangs. He smiled and then jumped at me, his mouth open as if to bite._

**Author's Note: Sorry for not updating for SO long. I really had some trouble with this one. Ugh and I had like ten projects at one time! It's supposed to be the end of the year! What's with all this work!? Anyway thanx for reading PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (no Utau's not dead)**


	27. A Vampire Sister

Chapter 27: A Vampire Sister

_Blazing pain was everything. Love and kindness, memories of friendship, those were nothing. It was like a frozen avalanche of fury added onto the pain of putting salt in an open wound, only multiplied by a hundred. Though it stung red hot, I knew it was icily cold. Like being buried alive in the arctic without any clothes on. It burned a frosty sting into all my consciousness. I didn't even realize I had a body anymore, I simply couldn't move. If not for the pain keeping me nailed to the Earth, I might have died. Not one intelligible thought crossed my mind. Not even a wish to put all the pain to an end. Let alone wishing, I couldn't even think. Then there were screams, and lots and lots of blood._

I shuddered awake. Two visions in one nightmare, it was probably some sort of record. Though I kept my eyes tightly shut, I was very much awake. Also, I was very much afraid. I was afraid what had happened to Ikuto. I was scared for Utau, and I wanted to know what had happened to my sister Dia. I had finally been getting through to her, but then Ikuto showed up. How had he known? Where was I now? What happened to Sanjo? Are the Guardians worried?

Hesitantly I opened my eyes. Everything was dim, and as I sucked in a deep breath I suddenly had to let it out. I had a coughing fit as my nostrils filled with the sickening and irony scent of blood. It wasn't like a paper cut amount of blood either, it was overwhelming enough to be from a massacre. I coughed again, and scrambled out off the old, battered couch that I had been laying on.

Before I hit the floor I heard the odd sound of gagging coming from a corner. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I noticed it was Ikuto's figure. He was hunched over, and his shoulders were shaking. Vomiting sounds came from his direction too. I began crawling towards him, but then I heard someone scream at me,

"Don't! He'll bite you!" I turned around in surprise. An orange haired girl with ruby red eyes stared at me. She wore a thin nightgown and her skin was just a tad paler than it should've been. I whirled around when I head the meek voice of Ikuto from behind me. He mumbled with what little strength he had,

"I wouldn't bite Amu."

"But, in your condition, you'd suck her body dry of blood!" Dia retorted. When she opened her mouth it revealed two sharp, snow-white fangs; her red eyes blazed with agitation.

"You think I _want_ to be dependent on her blood!?" Ikuto inquired. Her jerked in an odd way and resumed puking.

"I-Ikuto! Are you alright?" I asked, trying to get closer to him, but Dia was suddenly in front of me (hadn't she been behind the couch?). She glared into my eyes,

"Don't get near him! The best thing for an addiction is to quit cold turkey!"

"You know that's a load of bullshit!" Ikuto growled. Dia leaned down next to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders protectively.

"I won't let you feed off my baby sister, Tsukiyomi! You bit your own sister! What will you do to a poor human whose blood you're addicted to?"

_'I'm not just some girl! I'm his girlfriend!' _Is what I would've said it I wasn't so shocked that my dead sister was now hugging me. Not to mention the fact she was a vampire. Suddenly anger crept up and swallowed me whole. Unable to wrench away from Dia's grasp I yelled,

"WHAT THE FUCK!? Why are you acting all nice to me _now_!?"

Dia turned her head to look at me. Her red eyes suddenly became the same honey color as mine. "I'm so sorry Amu. When I became a ghost, I became a vengeful phantom. All my anger at dieing and not fulfilling my dream was released and channeled at the one who'd brought me back from death... you. I didn't mean what I said before; I was just going crazy. But then you said what you said, and that brought me back to my senses. I love you Amu. Though I apologize, I was a selfish person when I was human. I knew about yours and grandma's supernatural powers, but I was afraid of them. I thought it was demonic and evil, so I didn't want someone pure like you getting... tainted."

"Am I supposed to believe that? Am I supposed to let you just come back!? You tried to kill me dammit! Not only that you possessed Utau-chan! AND WHAT THE HELL! YOU'RE A VAMPIRE!? LAST TIME I CHECKED YOU WERE DEAD. OH WAIT NO THEN YOU BECAME A GHOST AFTER MY STUPID WISH!" I hollered in fury.

"Calm down! Please, Amu! I know I can't make up for what I did, but please let me explain! There are all different types of ghosts! Because you wished me alive again, I became what is known as the "solid" type. Those types can become solid manifestations of their former selves at will, though they can't be seen by normal humans, they can be felt. There is also the liquid type, which can be seen by any human, but cannot influence normal humans. The "gas" type is a special class where they can only be sensed by those with trained abilities. They also develop special powers, which are highly unstable. There are also many "types" in between. I was in the middle of "solidifying" or becoming tangible, when Ikuto bit your sister. Because I was still possessing Utau, but becoming solid I was caught by Ikuto's venom. Though, being already dead, the process was fast and painless. I got rid of Sanjo before she could even blink, and now we're in an abandoned apartment complex scheduled for demolition in about a week. Don't worry, Utau's still alive."

"UTAU!" I cried, jumping up. Waving my arms wildly and frantically searching the room, I found a writhing body on a cot at the far corner, well away from Ikuto. She looked almost like she was shivering, and if I listened closely I could hear whimpers. With the thin strip of light that was coming from the window, mostly blocked by damaged blinds, I could see blood everywhere on Utau. That's when I realized that Ikuto had been vomiting blood, and that's where the smell of fresh blood had been coming from. All of Utau's blood was dried now.

"Dia, let me be by Ikuto's side!"

"NO!" Dia held me tightly, "Let him die rather than you!"

"He won't kill me!" I cried.

"How could you possibly know?"

"I'm his girlfriend!" I wailed. Dia let go all of a sudden.

"Y-you're... you two are like... _lovers_?"

"DIA! I'm not even thirteen!" Dia shook my shoulders, her eyes intensely staring into mine,

"EXACTLY AMU! YOU CAN'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND! ESPECIALLY NOT ONE SO OLD!" she then muttered to herself, "Fool, he's also a vampire."

"I don't care if he's a vampire! I've dated a werewolf! I'm best friends with that werewolf's psychic sister! I've got a friend who's twin sister's soul lives in his body and another friend who's the reincarnation of an evil king that wants to marry me! I've got loads more problems than "my boyfriend's vampire"!"

Dia, who look more frightening than Hell, "What kind of life are you letting my little sister live?"

"...Can't... talk... body... rejecting... blood... *gasp *" Ikuto continued to upchuck. I wriggled away from Dia and before she knew what was going on I grabbed a loose spring on the couch and sliced open my wrist. As my blood trickled down Dia jumped back, refusing to drink my blood, while Ikuto twirled around, blood running down the sides of his mouth, he attacked my hand. Like whenever a vampire sucked a human's blood, it stung horribly, but I was glad Ikuto was going to be okay now.

"Shh, shh." I crooned as I brushed his silky hair, trying to calm him down, "You'll be fine now, just drink."

"How can you be so calm about everything!?" Dia demanded. I turned my head with eyes that questioned her sanity.

"I make a wish one night for my dead sister to come back to life, instead I get haunted by three ghosts who died for my wish. I meet up with a group called the "Guardians". After that I meet a vampire. Also, did I mention my powers start appearing. Then I get hired by a company that secretly hunts supernatural beings. I'm then partnered with a soulless girl (Utau) who is being possessed by a demon and an angel. My werewolf boyfriend dies during a fight between some trolls while he's trying to save Utau! And while I continue hunting supernatural things while also kind of protecting them, Ikuto becomes my boyfriend, and I have to kill Yaya's, my old boyfriend's sister, new parental figure! I get haunted by a forth ghost, and then, guess what! Our grandma comes back! She also works for Easter! She infiltrates my school, trying to capture an evil spectre, which ended up killing about a half dozen of my classmates, including a friend's twin sister! I get proposed to by a dead/reincarnated king, and then it turns out Yaya's new guardian is evil! Mean while I'm having visions of _your_ return. I witness Sanjo shooting someone! I have a vision of an innocent boy getting his head smashed in, and then I continue getting haunted by visions! I fall down the stairs, go to the hospital, and my nurse threatens to kill me. Bluffing my way out of that I get released from the hospital only to find that my sister is plotting my death! Then Ikuto comes in bites his own sister while you miraculously become a vampire! I'd say I've dealt with this kind of craziness before!"

Dia dropped to her knees. Her arms slid around my waist. Almost crying she sighed, "Amu-chan, I'm so, so sorry. This wasn't the life you wanted at all! Until I died, you were afraid of supernatural things!"

"Even after you died, I was afraid of them! It wasn't until I was haunted and started seeing visions of death that I _stopped_ being afraid and learned to deal!"

Ikuto finished drinking. He nuzzled my neck and murmured, "But some good things came out of all this, right? Like _me_ for example." I sighed, but nodded.

"I overcame my fear, and I get to be with Dia again. I actually made friends with some... interesting and I have powers now. I get paid for being an undercover double-crossing, double-crosser, and yeah... I do have you Ikuto."

Dia sighed, and then mumbled, "I'll go get something for that cut."

"Wait... what are we going to do now? I don't want to go back home knowing Dia can't! I can't anyway! I'm in danger from Easter now too!"

"Amu, you could..." Ikuto began,

"Tsukiyomi! She couldn't! She's just a human! She needs to live as a human!"

"But _we_ can protect her better than some human mother and father who don't love her!"

"Don't... love... her? W-well... I always knew I was the favorite, and then Ami came along so Amu was almost always ignored... but grandma always—"

"Amu forbid that grandmother of hers from coming back! That woman works for Easter, you think she'd really protect her granddaughter if it would mean (worst case scenario) getting killed!?"

"Amu is NOT joining a vampire clan Ikuto!"

"Vampire clan?" I asked, confused.

"Vampire clan." Ikuto sighed. "Its the best way to get Easter off our back. As long as there's a pure vampire at the head of the clan, more and more vampires will gravitate to it for various reasons. It'll build power and then Easter will eventually be forced to leave us be. Dia-san, if Amu is protected by a vampire clan, she'll be safe for the rest of her life!"

"But Amu can't live like a vampire! I won't let that happen to my little sister—"

"Dia, let me." I stated. She rose her eyebrows at me.

"Amu-chan?"

"Dia, no matter what you do I will _never_ have a normal life! I will _never_ be normal! And the only way for me to be safe in school even is for my entire class to become vampires... or something."

Dia was silent for a while. I stared into her flashing red eyes while she debated.

"...um... then I guess there's no choice. We must think logically for your protection, Amu. You'll join the vampire clan, but you will _not_ become a vampire." Dia then walked out of the room to go find a first aid kit.

I shook my head with a sigh, "No, don't worry Dia-chan, I don't want to be a vampire."

"Then you never have to be." Ikuto murmured, wrapping one arm around my shoulders and one arm around my waist; he pulled me into his lap and nuzzle me until Dia came back a yelled at him to clean up.

That night Ikuto "borrowed" a motorcycle and let Dia drive me back to my house. We decided I'd make a big deal about leaving the family, though Dia theorized it would bring attention from grandmother to me. As I kicked my foot over the bike and back onto the ground, I saw a reminiscent look in Dia's eye, so I whispered.

"You can watch through the window," I rested a hand on her shoulder, "I know you want to see our parents." Dia giggled and waved me on. I nodded and ran to the door.

Slamming the door shut and without bothering to take off my shoes, I entered the house. My heart skipped a beat when I saw my parents rush into the hall. Both of them seemed like they were lacking sleep, and when they're eyes caught mine I thought I wouldn't be able to do what I had to, but then I remembered Dia waiting outside. _I'll do this! To be with Dia and Ikuto!_ Though my parents certainly didn't notice, I saw my four ghosts appear. Yoru was probably flying around somewhere.

"Amu! Well you're finally home!" My father snapped rudely. I clenched my hands into fists. _Just like acting, Amu!_ I tried to tell myself, but even my parents didn't deserve what happened next.

"JUST SHUT UP!" I hollered, "I DON'T NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOUR FOR PARENTS!"

"W-what?" my mother stammered.

"I ONLY CAME BACK HER FOR SOME STUFF! I'LL LEAVE BEHIND MOST OF IT! MAYBE YOU CAN SELL IT ON eBAY OR SOMETHING!"

"What are you talking about? What, you're running away?"

"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!"

"HEY! Don't use fucking profanities in my house!" father growled.

"I'LL DO WHAT I WANT! YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!"

"The hell I'm not! I'm you're parent!" my mom yelled.

"Yeah? Who cares?" I retorted.

"Well how do you think you're going to live? Like a hobo or something? Idiot, you'll never amount to anything." my dad jeered.

"YOU'RE THE IDIOT!" I snapped, "I HAVE MY OWN JOB AND IT PAYS QUITE WELL! I'VE HAVE IT FOR A WHILE NOW TOO! NOT TO MENTION I'VE GOT FRIENDS WITH CONNECTIONS! YOU'LL BE SURPRISED HOW FAR I'M GOING TO GO: HOW SUCCESSFUL I'LL BE!"

"Why didn't you tell us you had a job?" my mom inquired suspiciously. I glared at her, with all her stupid "parenting" magazines she probably thinks she knows it all! She probably thought that I was doing that for attention.

"Classified." I answered, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What? Don't act so superior, we raise yo—"

"Oh, go to hell! I don't care about you!" I rolled my eyes and marched up the stairs.

"Where are you going? I thought you were running away!"

"I am."

"Then get down here!" my mother called after me just before I slammed my door shut.

"NO!" I screamed as I gathered up my Easter supplies along with a few clothes, accessories, school stuff, and a stuffed animal Dia had given me when I was very young.

"Why are you leaving anyway!?" my mom snarled when I slammed my door open.

"Hmph! Maybe I'm sick of you? Maybe I'm sick of not being looked after or cared for? THE ONLY THING YOU CARE ABOUT INVOLVING ME IS MY GRADES!"

"YOU'RE WRONG! WE'VE DONE LOTS OF STUFF FOR YOU! WHAT ABOUT THAT PARTY YOUR BOYFRIEND INVITED US TO—"

"YOU STILL THINK _TADASE_ IS MY BOYFRIEND!? WHAT KIND OF CRAPPY PARENTS ARE YOU? YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION AT ALL! YOU CAN'T JUST ASSUME STUFF ABOUT ME! AND DON'T TRY TO PULL OFF YOUR SOCIAL CLIMBING AS AN ACT DONE FOR _MY_ BENEFIT!" I ran to the door, knowing Nikaido, Ran, Miki, and Suu were trailing along. I opened the door and prepared to slam it closed, but then I turned around to stare coldly at my parents. "I'm also sick of looking at your faces everyday. I HATE THE FACES THAT TOOK DIA AWAY FROM ME!"

I knew that was harsh, and I also knew it wasn't their fault Dia had died in the first place, but what else would make them leave me alone? It I didn't say something like that, they might call the police, and that was the last thing I needed when working for the type of company Easter was.

"That was too harsh." Dia scolded gently as I climbed onto the back of the bike.

I shut my eyes, letting tears roll down my cheeks. "I know." I murmured as I gripped Dia's "borrowed" leather jacket while she revved the motorcycle's engine.

"Amu-chan, what was that about? Who's this?" Ran asked appearing beside me.

"I'll explain later, ok?" I smiled at her. Then I whipped my head around to glower at Nikaido, "And I _know_ it was _you_ who told Ikuto! You don't know what trouble you've caused!"

We came back to the abandoned apartment complex in the center of town. Entering sneakily through the back entrance, we made our way up the creaky old stairs and back into the room where Ikuto waited and Utau held back screamed of shivering agony.

"Amu! Now that we're here, tell us what happened, and who this person is!" Miki ordered as I put my stuff down.

"Err... ok..." it was kind of a long story. I started with the easiest question. Pointing at the young, orange haired vampire-girl sitting beside me on the couch, I stated, "This is my formerly dead, formerly a ghost, now undead/vampire sister: Dia." Dia giggled at the way I'd introduced her.

Suu raised her eyebrows, "You're sister?"

"The one you made us die for?" Miki questioned.

"Impossible! How could a ghost become a second level vampire?" Ran asked.

"Fascinating!" Nikaido exclaimed.

With a sigh, I realized I'd have to explain thoroughly, "No interruptions, got it?" I instructed everyone in the room (excluding Utau). And then I began my tale. I started with Sanjo controlling Utau. Then I explained Utau's condition. After that I described how I'd come to the warehouse and then dueled Utau who was being possessed by the vengeful spirit of my sister. I carefully explained the type of ghost Dia was. Then I came to the part where Ikuto came in. At that point, I had to tell them about his past and his curse. Then I went on with the story, and how I passed out after Utau had been bitten. Skipping my dream, I discussed with them how Dia had apologized and we made up. After that, I had to tell them my reason for being so cruel to my parents.

"So that's how it is... I'm sorry Tsukiyomi-kun, I hadn't realized the situation." Nikaido sighed.

"Not at all. With what happened, it'll bring me closer to Amu, and Amu will be closer to her sister. Not only that, I can finally be with my sister."

"You said Amu would join your vampire clan, but..." Ran began.

"Don't worry yourself. I won't become a vampire, I promise."

"I'll still be keeping an eye on you." Ran warned Ikuto, then turning to Dia she commented, "But I trust you!" Dia laughed with a voice like a beautiful orchestra symphony.

I fell asleep on the couch. Ikuto was forced into a corner by Dia, while she sat on the floor and leaned on the sofa. I tossed and turned and let no one get sleep as I was screaming and screaming. Dia and Ikuto ended up hugging me to try and keep me quiet. We'd be in trouble if they found us: especially with all the blood everywhere.

The reason why I was crying was, of course, another vision. It was something I didn't expect, because I hadn't thought about it recently. It was a vision about that green haired boy Kairi: the boy who was going to die.

_A boy with green hair stood on a large boulder. The wind whipped through the air, and tree leaves rustled. Despite the thick scent of blood that became increasingly worrying with every passing second, I couldn't spot a speck of blood. Suddenly the boy grabbed my hand. I turned to him and he held my face. Thin glasses covered his handsome eyes. Suddenly he leaned down to kiss me. I couldn't move a single muscle though. That's when I saw where the blood scent was coming from. The evidence was smeared across his face._

_I attempted to push him away, but his hand gripped my forearms with astounding strength. He wouldn't let me go, not even when I could hear the anguished shrieks encompassing the two of us. I couldn't make out faces, but I suddenly saw distant figures, blood trailing behind them. They were just kids. They were just kids around my age! I shivered in horror, and then the green haired boy leaned in even closer._

_"N-no!" I cried, struggling with even more desperation._

_"I can kiss you... Or I can kill you." he threatened. My knees began shaking, but before I collapsed onto the ground, the was a crack like lightning, and Kairi's body was yards away from me, his head smashed in and his blood splattered everywhere. Only later did I realize that the screams I then heard were mine._

My eyes snapped open, and before I could register the two concerned faces staring at me, I began sobbing. Through my sobs I gasped, "N-noo-oo. N-no! He can't! He can't! M-murder! M-murderer! W-who w-would do s-such a-a-a...?"

**Author's Note: Ok, this is a long chapter, but I hope it was worth it. Yep, major foreshadowing in this chapter. XD its coming to a close quickly actually, so please keep reading a review. And thankyou for review on chapter 26 it really inspired me!**


End file.
